Mortise

Mortise is a slots-and-tenons term in carpentry: a hole or groove cut into a piece of wood to receive a tenon, forming a mortise-and-tenon joint. The word denotes both the hollowed slot and the joining technique, and is used by builders, woodworkers, and historians when describing traditional furniture and framing methods. It is pronounced with two syllables, emphasizing the first: MOR-tis.