This page gathers the 128 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Carpentry”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples.
- against the grain prep_phrase Preventing a smooth, level surface from being formed by raising the nap of the wood or causing larger splinters to form ahead of the…
- angle bar noun An upright bar at the angle where two faces of a polygonal or bay window meet.
- angle brace noun A brace across an interior angle of a wooden frame, forming the hypotenuse and securing the two side pieces together.
- ashlaring noun The short upright pieces between the floor beams and rafters in garrets.
- backerboard noun Boards used as underlayment for tile, plaster, or other materials.
- backprime verb To apply a layer of primer to the back side of (a surface).
- balloon frame noun A house frame constructed entirely of small timber. It uses long continuous framing members (wall studs) that run from the sill plate to…
- barleycorn noun A small groove between two moldings.
- baseboard noun A panel or molding between the floor and the interior wall of a structure.
- baseboard heating noun A type of zone heating that uses a series of heating elements along the bottom of a wall to gradually release heat into a room.
- batten noun A plank or strip of wood, or several of such strips arranged side by side, used in construction to hold members of a structure together, to…
- bead noun A decorative, convex, rounded profile (often a half-circle) cut into an edge or surface of wood, typically defined by a narrow, deep…
- bent noun Such a subunit as a component of a barn's framing, joined to other bents by girts and summer beams.
- bentwood noun Lengths of wood that have been made pliable by heating with steam and then bent into the appropriate shape (to make furniture, ships'…
- bifold noun A door, window, shutter, or divider consisting of two equal panels hinged together so that it opens by folding the panels against each…
- bifolding adj Having a bifold design, with two equal panels hinged together so as to open by folding the panels against each other.
- birdsmouth noun A notch cut into the underside of a rafter to ensure that it does not move when resting on the wall plate running across the top of a wall…
- biscuit noun A thin oval wafer of wood or other material inserted into mating slots on pieces of material to be joined to provide gluing surface and…
- biscuitry noun The process of inserting biscuits (thin ovals of wood or other material) into mating slots in order to provide a gluing surface.
- blowout noun The damage done to the exit side of a drilled hole or sawn edge when no sacrificial backerboard is used during the drilling or sawing: the…
- bone verb To sight along an object or set of objects to check whether they are level or in line.
- boule noun A through-sawn log with the slices restacked in the order and orientation they originally had in the log, usually with waney edges.
- buhl noun A particularly decorative piece of brass or other material, used as inlay in furniture or other works.
- butment cheek noun The part of a mortised timber surrounding the mortise, and against which the shoulders of the tenon bear.
- butt noun A kind of hinge used in hanging doors, etc., so named because it is attached to the inside edge of the door and butts against the casing…
- butt hinge noun A kind of hinge used in hanging doors, lid, covers, etc.; so named because fastened on the edge of the door, which butts against the frame…
- butt joint noun A joint formed by adjacent, separate section of material, such as where two neighboring pieces of insulation abut.
- carpenter's pencil noun A pencil specifically designed for the requirements of a carpenter: oval shape makes it less likely to roll away, and thick graphite…
- carving knife noun A knife used to pare, cut, and smooth wood.
- cat's-paw noun A small crowbar with a handle at a right angle to a blade with a V-shaped notch, principally used by carpenters to remove nails.
- caul noun A strip or block of wood used to distribute or direct clamping force.
- clear noun Full extent; distance between extreme limits; especially; the distance between the nearest surfaces of two bodies, or the space between…
- closed assembly time noun The time elapsing between the closed contact of an assembly of glued joints until application or full pressure.
- cog noun A projection or tenon at the end of a beam designed to fit into a matching opening of another piece of wood to form a joint.
- cog joint noun A type of joint used involving a projection or tenon at the end of a beam and in which the tenon fits into a matching opening in another…
- compass noun A curved circular form.
- compass plane noun A plane, convex in the direction of its length on the underside, for smoothing the concave faces of curved woodwork.
- cradle noun A ribbing for vaulted ceilings and arches intended to be covered with plaster.
- cradling noun The framework in arched or coved ceilings to which the laths are nailed.
- cross-halving joint noun A joint used for intermediate framework where half the thickness is removed from both pieces of timber where they cross.
- dado verb To cut a dado.
- dap noun A notch cut in one timber to receive another.
- doty adj Suffering from rot, or waterlogged
- dovetail verb To unite (components) with a dovetail (noun sense 2.1) or similar joint.
- dovetailed adj Having a dovetail joint.
- dozy adj Decaying, rotten, spongy.
- dutchman noun A piece of wood or stone used to repair a larger piece, shaped such that it fills as exactly as possible a void or cavity that is to be…
- dwang noun A horizontal timber (or steel) section used in the construction of a building.
- edgebanding noun Veneer or laminate of the same type of material as used for the surface of furniture and with width matching standard thicknesses of such…
- feather verb To finely shave or bevel an edge.
- fillet noun Any scantling smaller than a batten.
- finger joint noun A joint, usually glued, in which multiple integral protrusions are fit into mating slots, used especially for manufacturing long moldings.
- framing hammer noun A form of a claw hammer used for heavy wood construction, particularly house framing and concrete formwork.
- frowey adj Working smoothly or without splitting.
- glue strip noun A narrow band or line of adhesive applied along the edge of a workpiece to bond it to another piece.
- grafting noun A scarfing or endwise attachment of one timber to another.
- heel noun The short side of an angled cut.
- heelpost noun The post to which a gate or door is hinged.
- horn noun A curved projection on the fore part of a plane.
- interjoist noun The space or interval between two joists.
- jamb noun Either of the vertical components that form the side of an opening in a wall, such as that of a door frame, window frame, or fireplace.
- jointer noun The largest kind of plane used by a joiner.
- keyhole noun A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them.
- lag noun Clipping of lag screw.
- lathe noun A machine tool used to shape a piece of material, or workpiece, by rotating the workpiece against a cutting tool.
- list verb To cut away a narrow strip, as of sapwood, from the edge of.
- long-grain adj Of woodgrain, where the grain runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piece of wood.
- marquetry noun A decorative technique in which veneers of wood, ivory, metal etc. are inlaid into a wooden surface to form intricate designs.
- matchboard noun A type of wooden board that connects with others using a tongue and groove system
- measure twice and cut once proverb One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting…
- montant noun An upright piece in any framework, such as a muntin or stile.
- mortise noun A hole that is made to receive a tenon so as to form a joint.
- nog noun A wooden block, the size of a brick, built into a wall, as a hold for the nails of woodwork.
- nogging noun A horizontal beam used in the construction of a building, especially to strengthen upright posts.
- open assembly time noun The measure of time commencing from the application of an adhesive on a substrate until it is assembled without the loss of bonding…
- pan noun A recess, or bed, for the leaf of a hinge.
- pitching piece noun The horizontal timber supporting the floor of a platform of a stairway, and against which the stringpieces of the sloping parts are…
- plane verb To smooth (wood) with a plane.
- planer noun A tool which smooths a surface or makes one surface of a workpiece parallel to the tool's bed.
- pocket-hole noun A type of joinery that involves drilling a hole at an angle in one piece which is then joined to another by a self-tapping screw.
- pomelle noun A specific type of woodgrain in lumber and veneers, also known as "quilted" from the French.
- quartersaw verb Cut radially (towards the heart of the log), at right angles to the growth rings, for stability or the production of decorative patterns.
- relish verb To add one or more relishes (noun etymology 2, noun sense 2) to (a tenon, piece of wood, etc.).
- ringhead noun A cutting tool or assembly that consists of a circular head which houses multiple cutting knives or blades arranged in a ring formation.
- rip verb To cut wood along (parallel to) the grain.
- ripping noun Wood that has been ripped (cut parallel to the grain).
- ripsaw noun A saw that is designed to cut wood along its grain, i.e. to rip, to execute a rip cut.
- riser noun A vertical part of a step on a staircase.
- rive verb To use a technique of splitting or sawing wood radially from a log (e.g. clapboards).
- rooter noun A blade for producing a narrow groove in a piece of wood.
- rosehead noun A conical drillbit that has radiating blades.
- saddle verb To cut a saddle-shaped notch in (a log or other piece of wood) so it can fit together with other such logs or pieces; also, to fit (logs or…
- scribe verb To cut (something) in order to fit it closely to an irregular surface, as a baseboard to a floor which is out of level, a board to the…
- shaving horse noun A device that allows a woodworker to sit astride it while it clamps onto a piece of wood which is being worked.
- shoot verb To plane straight; to fit by planing.
- skirting board noun A panel, normally made of wood, between the floor and the interior wall of a structure, or placed in a position that is subject to repeated…
- sleeper noun A structural beam in a floor running perpendicular to both the joists beneath and floorboards above.
- spalting noun Any coloration of wood, either living or dead, by fungi, which is considered visually or texturally appealing. Biochemical responses by the…
- spline noun A strip of wood or other material inserted into grooves in each of two pieces of wood to provide additional surface for gluing.
- splocket noun A triangular timber frame.
- spur noun A brace strengthening a post and some connected part, such as a rafter or crossbeam; a strut.
- stick verb To cut a piece of wood to be the stick member of a cope-and-stick joint.
- strap noun A band, plate, or loop of metal for clasping and holding timbers or parts of a machine.
- strickle noun A template; a pattern.
- string noun A board supporting steps
- stringer noun The side rail supporting the rungs of a ladder or the steps of a flight of stairs.
- stringpiece noun A long piece of timber, forming a margin or edge of any piece of construction; especially one of the longitudinal pieces supporting a…
- strongback noun A load-bearing post with a T-shaped cross-section, where the short T-tail prevents bowing of the long post.
- stud finder noun A hand-held device used to determine the location of framing studs used in light-frame construction after the walling surface has been…
- swing verb To put (a door, gate, etc.) on hinges so that it can swing or turn.
- table verb To join (pieces of timber) together using coaks.
- tabling noun The letting of one timber into another by alternate scores or projections, as in shipbuilding; a crude form of dovetailing.
- tearout noun Synonym of blowout.
- toe noun The long side of an angled cut.
- torsel noun A plate of timber for the end of a beam or joist to rest on.
- tote noun The principal handle of a handplane, for gripping the plane.
- traverse verb To plane in a direction across the grain of the wood.
- trim verb To dress; to make smooth.
- try-miter square noun A joinery tool that can be used as a standard 90 degree try square and also as a 45 degree miter square.
- turning tool noun A handheld tool for woodturning.
- tusk noun A projecting member like a tenon, and serving the same or a similar purpose, but composed of several steps, or offsets, called teeth.
- twibill noun A two-edged tool used in gate-type hurdle-making for cutting out mortises, with a flat chisel and a mortise chisel or hook, similar to the…
- twister noun A girder.
- veneer verb To apply veneer to.
- wane noun A rounded corner caused by lack of wood, often showing bark.
- waney noun A sharp or uneven edge on a board that is cut from a log not perfectly squared, or that is made in the process of squaring.
- water popping noun A technique used to open the grain of wood flooring by introducing clean water to its surface before staining and finishing it.
- workpiece noun A partially finished object (often composed of a raw material) which is subjected to various operations, worked on with tools, etc.