mortise
or mor·tice
- a notch, hole, groove, or slot made in a piece of wood or the like to receive a tenon of the same dimensions.
- a deep recess cut into wood for any of several other purposes, as for receiving a mortise lock.
- Printing. a space cut out of a plate, especially for the insertion of type or another plate.
- to secure with a mortise and tenon.
- to cut or form a mortise in (a piece of wood or the like).
- to join securely.
- Printing.
- to cut metal from (a plate).
- to cut out metal from a plate and insert (new material) in its place.
Origin of mortise
Related Words for mortise
juncture, crossing, intersection, confluence, terminal, harmonize, conform, coincide, jibe, correspond, screw, tighten, weld, affix, adhere, nail, attach, bolt, solder, glueExamples from the Web for mortise
Historical Examples of mortise
Mortise, a hollow in a stone or timber to receive a corresponding projection.
ArchitectureThomas Roger Smith
The marks a, b designate the limits, or the length, of the mortise.
Carpentry for BoysJ. S. Zerbe
A typical form of mallet chiseling is the digging of a mortise, Fig. 76.
Handwork in WoodWilliam Noyes
Fasten the lock in place, and if there is a strike or face-plate, mark its place and mortise it in.
Handwork in WoodWilliam Noyes
The width of the mortise is equal to the width of the groove, its length to the width of the tenon.
Handwork in WoodWilliam Noyes
mortise
mortice
- a slot or recess, usually rectangular, cut into a piece of wood, stone, etc, to receive a matching projection (tenon) of another piece, or a mortise lock
- printing a cavity cut into a letterpress printing plate into which type or another plate is inserted
- to cut a slot or recess in (a piece of wood, stone, etc)
- to join (two pieces of wood, stone, etc) by means of a mortise and tenon
- to cut a cavity in (a letterpress printing plate) for the insertion of type, etc
Word Origin for mortise
Word Origin and History for mortise
c.1400, "hole or groove in which something is fitted to form a joint," from Old French mortaise (13c.), possibly from Arabic murtazz "fastened," past participle of razza "cut a mortise in." Cf. Spanish mortaja.
mid-15c., from mortise (n.). Related: Mortised; mortising.