mortise

Alternative forms

• mortice

Etymology

From Old French mortaise, of Arabic origin: مورتاز ‎(“fastened”), from رازا ‎(“to cut a recess”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔ(ɹ).tis/
• enPR: [môrtĭs]

Noun

mortise (plural mortises)

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

Verb

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

1. (woodworking) To make a mortise.
2. (typography) To adjust the horizontal space between selected pairs of letters; to kern.

Anagrams

• erotism, moister, stormie, trisome