Mortise Definition
môrtis
mortices, mortised, mortises, mortising
noun
mortises
A hole or recess cut, as in a piece of wood, to receive a projecting part (tenon) shaped to fit into it, or to receive a lock.
Webster's New World
A hole cut in a plate for insertion of type.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
verb
mortised, mortising
To join or fasten securely, esp. with a mortise and tenon.
Webster's New World
To cut a mortise in.
Webster's New World
To cut a hole in (a plate) for the insertion of type.
American Heritage
To cut such a hole and insert (type).
American Heritage
(typography) To adjust the horizontal space between selected pairs of letters; to kern.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
Origin of Mortise
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Middle English mortaise from Old French perhaps from Arabic murtazz fastened from irtazza to be fixed (in place) derived stem of razza to fix, insert rzz in Semitic roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
First attested circa fourteenth century, from Old French mortaise, of uncertain origin.
From Wiktionary
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