miter

[ mahy-ter ]

/ ˈmaɪ tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR miter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the official headdress of a bishop in the Western Church, in its modern form a tall cap with a top deeply cleft crosswise, the outline of the front and back resembling that of a pointed arch.

the office or rank of a bishop; bishopric.

Judaism. the official headdress of the ancient high priest, bearing on the front a gold plate engraved with the words Holiness to the Lord. Ex. 28:36–38.

a fillet worn by women of ancient Greece.

Carpentry. an oblique surface formed on a piece of wood or the like so as to butt against an oblique surface on another piece to be joined with it.

Nautical. the inclined seam connecting the two cloths of an angulated sail.

verb (used with object)

to bestow a miter upon, or raise to a rank entitled to it.

to join with a miter joint.

to cut to a miter.

to join (two edges of fabric) at a corner by various methods of folding, cutting, and stitching.

Nearby words

mitchell, william, mitchum, mitchum, robert, mite, mite typhus, miter, miter box, miter gear, miter joint, miter post, miter saw

Also especially British, mi·tre.

Origin of miter

1350–1400; Middle English mitre (noun) < Latin mitra < Greek mítra turban, headdress

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for miter

I made a miter box, as shown, and found it to be just the thing for this purpose.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
Victor wears on ceremonial occasions a miter with322 gold fringe, although it cannot be adorned with pearls like a bishop's.
Life on a Mediaeval Barony|William Stearns Davis
Beneath the crown he saw the criminal, under the miter, the hypocrite.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
On his head was something like a miter, carrying a coiled brass snake in front of it.
The Sky Is Falling|Lester del Rey

A clean, sharp meat saw or a miter saw with a rigid back may be used.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle|U.S. Department of Agriculture

British Dictionary definitions for miter

miter

/ (ˈmaɪtə) /

noun, verb

the usual US spelling of mitre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for miter (1 of 2)

miter

n.2

in the carpentry sense of "joint at a 45 degree angle," 1670s, perhaps from mitre, via notion of joining of the two peaks of the folded cap. As a verb from 1731.

Word Origin and History for miter (1 of 2)

miter

n.1

alternative spelling of mitre (see -re).

miter

noun

verb (used with object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of miter

Examples from the Web for miter

British Dictionary definitions for miter

miter

noun, verb

Word Origin and History for miter (1 of 2)

miter

Word Origin and History for miter (1 of 2)

miter