MORTISE

mortise, mortice

(noun) a square hole made to receive a tenon and so to form a joint

mortice, mortise

(verb) join by a tenon and mortise

mortise, mortice

(verb) cut a hole for a tenon in

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

mortise (plural mortises)

(woodworking) A hole that is made to receive a tenon so as to form a joint. [from 14th c.]

Stability; power of adhesion.

Verb

mortise (third-person singular simple present mortises, present participle mortising, simple past and past participle mortised)

(transitive, woodworking) To cut a mortise in.

(transitive, woodworking) To join by a mortise and tenon.

(typography) To adjust the horizontal space between selected pairs of letters; to kern.

Anagrams

• erotism, moister, stormie, trisome

Source: Wiktionary

Mor"tise, n. Etym: [F. mortaise; cf. Sp. mortaja, Ar. murtazz fixed, or W. mortais, Ir. mortis, moirtis, Gael. moirteis.]

Definition: A cavity cut into a piece of timber, or other material, to receive something (as the end of another piece) made to fit it, and called a tenon. Mortise and tenon (Carp.), made with a mortise and tenon; joined or united by means of a mortise and tenon; -- used adjectively.

– Mortise joint, a joint made by a mortise and tenon.

– Mortise lock. See under Lock.

– Mortise wheel, a cast-iron wheel, with wooden clogs inserted in mortises on its face or edge; -- also called mortise gear, and core gear.

Mor"tise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mortised; p. pr. & vb. n. Mortising.]

1. To cut or make a mortisein.

2. To join or fasten by a tenon and mortise; as, to mortise a beam into a post, or a joist into a girder.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition