had been mortising

• past perfect progressive

  past perfect progressive

  Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.

  of mortise.
  mortise

  noun

  a notch, hole, groove, or slot made in a piece of wood or the like to receive a tenon of the same dimensions.

Related Words

• adhere
• affix
• attach
• bolt
• glue
• nail
• screw
• solder
• tighten
• truss
• weld