mortise

1 of 2

noun

mor·​tise ˈmȯr-təs How to pronounce mortise (audio)
variants or less commonly mortice
: a hole, groove, or slot into or through which some other part of an arrangement of parts fits or passes
especially : a cavity cut into a piece of material (such as timber) to receive a tenon see dovetail illustration

mortise

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly mortice
mortised also morticed; mortising also morticing

transitive verb

1
: to join or fasten securely
specifically : to join or fasten by a tenon and mortise
2
: to cut or make a mortise in

Examples of mortise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The main hall was constructed with a large timber frame structure fabricated and assembled in a traditional mortise and tenon method, with no steel components. Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024 The beams were assembled using mortise and tenon joinery, in which a protruding tenon slots into a mortise hole and is held fast with an oak peg. Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
It is mortised throughout and the home's joints were set in white lead. Alice Adams, Houston Chronicle, 20 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for mortise 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mortise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English mortays, from Anglo-French mortais

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mortise was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mortise

Cite this Entry

“Mortise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortise. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mortise

1 of 2 noun
mor·​tise ˈmȯrt-əs How to pronounce mortise (audio)
: a hole or groove cut in a piece of wood or other material into which another piece fits so as to form a joint

mortise

2 of 2 verb
mortised; mortising
1
: to join or fasten securely especially by a tenon and mortise
2
: to cut a mortise in
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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