Carpenter Glossary

  • Abrasive – Material used for smoothing wood surfaces.
  • Bevel – Angled cut, often used in framing.
  • Birdsmouth – Notch cutout on a rafter to fit over a wall plate.
  • Biscuit joint – Method of joining wood using small, oval-shaped biscuits.
  • Blocking – Wood pieces used to provide additional support or backing.
  • Bow – Curve along the length of wood.
  • Burl – Swirling or twisted grain pattern in wood.
  • Cabinet scraper – Tool for smoothing wood surfaces.
  • Chamfer – Beveled edge or cut.
  • Chisel – Cutting tool with a sharp blade for shaping wood.
  • Clamp – Device used to hold wood pieces together during glue-up.
  • Coping saw – Thin blade saw for intricate cutting.
  • Crown – The highest point of an arch or molding.
  • Dado – Groove cut across the grain of wood.
  • Dovetail joint – Interlocking joint known for its strength.
  • Drawknife – Tool used for stripping bark or shaping wood.
  • Drill press – Machine for drilling precise holes.
  • Fiberboard – Engineered wood product.
  • Fillet – Narrow strip of wood used for filling gaps.
  • Framing square – Tool for making right-angle cuts and measurements.
  • Gimlet – Hand tool for boring small holes.
  • Grain – Direction of wood fibers.
  • Hand plane – Tool for smoothing wood surfaces.
  • Hardwood – Wood from broad-leaved trees.
  • Jack plane – Hand plane for rough shaping.
  • Jig – Tool or guide for repetitive tasks.
  • Joist – Horizontal beam for supporting a floor or ceiling.
  • Kerf – Width of a saw cut.
  • Laminate – Thin layers of wood bonded together.
  • Mallet – Hammer-like tool for striking chisels.
  • Miter joint – Angled joint often used in framing.
  • Mortise and tenon – Joint formed by inserting a tenon into a mortise.
  • Nail set – Tool for driving nail heads below the surface.
  • Ogee – Decorative molding profile.
  • Plywood – Engineered wood made from thin layers.
  • Router – Tool for hollowing out or shaping wood.
  • Scribe – Tool for marking wood for precise cuts.
  • Shim – Thin piece of wood used for leveling or spacing.
  • Softwood – Wood from coniferous trees.
  • Spindle – Turned wooden rod.
  • Splitting wedge – Tool for splitting wood along the grain.
  • Stile – Vertical framing member of a door or panel.
  • Tack – Small nail or fastener.
  • Table saw – Power saw with a flat table for cutting wood.
  • Tack hammer – Small hammer for driving tacks.
  • Tongue and groove – Joint where a protruding tongue fits into a groove.
  • Trim – Decorative molding or finish woodwork.
  • Veneer – Thin layer of wood applied to another surface.
  • Wainscot – Wooden paneling on interior walls.
  • Wood filler – Material used to fill gaps or cracks in wood.
  • Workbench – Table for working on wood projects.
  • Yoke – Crosspiece that joins and supports two other parts.
  • Biscuit joiner – Power tool for cutting slots for biscuits.
  • Brace – Hand tool for drilling holes by hand.
  • Carpenter’s square – Tool for checking and marking right angles.
  • Chalk line – Tool for marking long, straight lines on wood.
  • Circular saw – Power saw with a circular blade for cutting wood.
  • Clad – To cover or coat one material with another, such as metal cladding on wood.
  • Cleat – Strip of wood used for strengthening or securing joints.
  • Crown molding – Decorative molding at the junction of walls and ceiling.
  • Dowel – Round wooden pin used for joining pieces of wood.
  • Dust mask – Protective mask worn to filter out dust particles.
  • Fascia – Trim board along the roof edge or other horizontal surface.
  • Featherboard – Device to hold wood against a fence or table saw.
  • Finish nailer – Pneumatic tool for driving finish nails.
  • Fret saw – Thin-bladed saw for intricate cutting.
  • Glue gun – Tool for dispensing hot melt adhesive.
  • Handrail – Rail for hand support, typically on stairs.
  • Hardwood flooring – Flooring made from durable wood species.
  • Header – Beam over a window or door opening.
  • Jamb – Vertical part of a door or window frame.
  • Jointer – Machine for flattening and smoothing wood edges.
  • Lap joint – Joint where one piece overlaps another.
  • Level – Tool for determining horizontal alignment.
  • Log – Section of a tree trunk used for lumber.
  • Lumber – Wood that has been sawn and treated for use in construction.
  • Miter saw – Power saw for making angled cuts.
  • Nail gun – Tool for driving nails quickly and efficiently.
  • Paneling – Wood panels used to cover walls or ceilings.
  • Pilot hole – Small hole drilled to guide a larger drill bit or screw.
  • Planer – Machine for smoothing and reducing the thickness of wood.
  • Plumb – Vertical alignment or perpendicularity.
  • Polyurethane – Protective finish for wood.
  • Rabbet – Groove cut along the edge of a piece of wood.
  • Rasp – Coarse file used for shaping wood.
  • Router table – Table-mounted router for precision cuts.
  • Sander – Tool for smoothing wood surfaces.
  • Sawhorse – Support for holding wood during cutting or assembly.
  • Screwdriver – Tool for driving screws into wood.
  • Shaper – Machine for cutting profiles into wood.
  • Shiplap – Type of wooden board with a rabbeted edge for overlapping.
  • Soft-close – Mechanism for slowly closing cabinet doors and drawers.
  • Spline – Thin strip of wood used to strengthen joints.
  • Stapler – Tool for fastening materials with staples.
  • Stretcher – Horizontal member in a frame or structure.
  • Tape measure – Tool for measuring lengths accurately.
  • Teak – Hardwood prized for its durability and water resistance.
  • Trellis – Lattice framework used for supporting climbing plants.
  • Worm drive saw – Type of circular saw with a worm gear drive.
  • Zigzag rule – Flexible ruler for measuring curved surfaces.