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
variants
or less commonly mortice
mortised also morticed; mortising also morticing
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
Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2025
These mortises take much more time to create, which is why most carpenters don’t do it.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
Alice Adams, Houston Chronicle, 20 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for mortise
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Noun
To remove the paint from hinge mortises, remove the hinges and scrape away the paint using a 5-in-1 tool or a chisel, being careful not to cut into the wood itself.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2025
These mortises take much more time to create, which is why most carpenters don’t do it.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Mortise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortise. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mortise
1 of 2 noun
mor·tise
ˈmȯrt-əs 
: 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
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