Stringer (noun)

1. A long piece of wood or metal used to support the surface of a stair tread or the surface of a floor or roof.
2. A person who writes articles or stories for a newspaper or magazine on a regular basis.
3. A person who strings beads, pearls or other materials on a string or wire.

Origin:

From the middle english stringere, meaning to bind or fasten.

Examples:

1. The stairway was built using a series of stringers to support the treads.
2. The contractor installed stringers to support the weight of the roof.
3. The reporter is a stringer for a national newspaper.
4. The stringer was responsible for covering local news stories for the magazine.
5. The jewelry designer hired a stringer to string the pearls for her necklace.