What does "tenon" mean?
Tenon: A projecting member left by cutting away the wood around it, and made to insert into a mortise, and in this way secure together the parts of a frame; especially, such a member when it passes entirely through the thickness of the piece in which the mortise is cut, and shows on the other side. Cf. Tooth, Tusk. Tenon saw, a saw with a thin blade, usually stiffened by a brass or steel back, for cutting tenons. [Corruptly written tenant saw.] Gwilt.
Additional senses
- 2.To cut or fit for insertion into a mortise, as the end of a piece of timber.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00