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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Miter joint

Joint \Joint\ (joint), n. [F. joint, fr. joindre, p. p. joint. See Join.]

  1. The place or part where two things or parts are joined or united; the union of two or more smooth or even surfaces admitting of a close-fitting or junction; junction; as, a joint between two pieces of timber; a joint in a pipe.

  2. A joining of two things or parts so as to admit of motion; an articulation, whether movable or not; a hinge; as, the knee joint; a node or joint of a stem; a ball and socket joint. See Articulation.

    A scaly gauntlet now, with joints of steel, Must glove this hand.
    --Shak.

    To tear thee joint by joint.
    --Milton.

  3. The part or space included between two joints, knots, nodes, or articulations; as, a joint of cane or of a grass stem; a joint of the leg.

  4. Any one of the large pieces of meat, as cut into portions by the butcher for roasting.

  5. (Geol.) A plane of fracture, or divisional plane, of a rock transverse to the stratification.

  6. (Arch.) The space between the adjacent surfaces of two bodies joined and held together, as by means of cement, mortar, etc.; as, a thin joint.

  7. The means whereby the meeting surfaces of pieces in a structure are secured together.

  8. [ Jag a notch.] A projecting or retreating part in something; any irregularity of line or surface, as in a wall. [Now Chiefly U. S.]

  9. (Theaters) A narrow piece of scenery used to join together two flats or wings of an interior setting.

  10. a disreputable establishment, or a place of low resort, as for smoking opium; -- also used for a commercial establishment, implying a less than impeccable reputation, but often in jest; as, talking about a high-class joint is an oxymoron. [Slang]

  11. a marijuana cigarette. [Slang]

  12. prison; -- used with ``the''. [Slang] `` he spent five years in the joint.'' Coursing joint (Masonry), the mortar joint between two courses of bricks or stones. Fish joint, Miter joint, Universal joint, etc. See under Fish, Miter, etc. Joint bolt, a bolt for fastening two pieces, as of wood, one endwise to the other, having a nut embedded in one of the pieces. Joint chair (Railroad), the chair that supports the ends of abutting rails. Joint coupling, a universal joint for coupling shafting. See under Universal. Joint hinge, a hinge having long leaves; a strap hinge. Joint splice, a re["e]nforce at a joint, to sustain the parts in their true relation. Joint stool.

    1. A stool consisting of jointed parts; a folding stool.
      --Shak.

    2. A block for supporting the end of a piece at a joint; a joint chair.

      Out of joint, out of place; dislocated, as when the head of a bone slips from its socket; hence, not working well together; disordered. ``The time is out of joint.''
      --Shak.

Miter joint

Miter \Mi"ter\, Mitre \Mi"tre\, n. [F. mitre, fr. L. mitra headband, turban, Gr. ?.]

  1. A covering for the head, worn on solemn occasions by bishops and other church dignitaries. It has been made in many forms, the present form being a lofty cap with two points or peaks.
    --Fairholt.

  2. The surface forming the beveled end or edge of a piece where a miter joint is made; also, a joint formed or a junction effected by two beveled ends or edges; a miter joint.

  3. (Numis.) A sort of base money or coin.

    Miter box (Carp. & Print.), an apparatus for guiding a handsaw at the proper angle in making a miter joint; esp., a wooden or metal trough with vertical kerfs in its upright sides, for guides.

    Miter dovetail (Carp.), a kind of dovetail for a miter joint in which there is only one joint line visible, and that at the angle.

    Miter gauge (Carp.), a gauge for determining the angle of a miter.

    Miter joint, a joint formed by pieces matched and united upon a line bisecting the angle of junction, as by the beveled ends of two pieces of molding or brass rule, etc. The term is used especially when the pieces form a right angle, such as the edges of a window frame, and the edge of each piece at the point of junction is cut at a 45[deg] angle to its long direction. See Miter, 2.

    Miter shell (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of marine univalve shells of the genus Mitra.

    Miter square (Carp.), a bevel with an immovable arm at an angle of 45[deg], for striking lines on stuff to be mitered; also, a square with an arm adjustable to any angle.

    Miter wheels, a pair of bevel gears, of equal diameter, adapted for working together, usually with their axes at right angles.

Wiktionary
miter joint

n. A joint between two members at an angle to each other; each member is cut at an angle equal to half the angle of the junction and usually joint at right angles to each other.

WordNet
miter joint

n. joint that forms a corner; usually both sides are bevelled at a 45-degree angle to form a 90-degree corner [syn: mitre joint, miter, mitre]

Wikipedia
Miter joint

A miter joint (mitre in British English), sometimes shortened to miter, is a joint made by beveling each of two parts to be joined, usually at a 45° angle, to form a corner, usually a 90° angle. For woodworking, a disadvantage of a miter joint is its weakness, but it can be strengthened with a spline. There are two common variations of a splined miter joint, one where the spline is long and runs the length of the mating surfaces and another where the spline is perpendicular to the joined edges.

Common applications include picture frames, pipes (e.g. pipe organs), and molding.