tongue and groove joint
1
4.9
- noun
- /tʌŋ ɪn ɡruv dʒɔɪnt/
- Specialized
:
junta de lengüeta y ranura
- The bathroom has recycled barn wood, and the inside of the cabin has tongue and groove pine throughout.
- tongue and groove joint
- tongue-and-groove flooring
- tongue-and-groove plywood
Examples
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A bar was placed underneath the plywood to remove it and expose the one-by-four-inch tongue-and-groove Douglas fir flooring.
Academic text (1998) -
It's half a tongue and groove joint, always looking for a tongue.
Fiction book (1997) -
Along with this technology, the process for molding tongue-and-groove floorboards appeared.
Blog text (22) -
With tongue-and-groove installation, the nails are driven through the tongue, forcing the boards together; this also conceals the nail holes, creating an unmarred surface.
Blog text (22) -
"It looks like without the paint being removed, the roof sheathing, rafters, joists, and tongue-and-groove flooring could be salvaged economically," says Cook.
Academic text (1998) -
To make a strong and attractive door, we cut tongue and groove joint timbers.
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Use a hammer and long tapping block to close the tongue and groove joint.
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Press the plank into the flooring in the first row so that the tongue and groove joint locks.
How Secure
- Specialized
1
6.6
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
4.9
- Specialized
1
6.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derivable from the constituents: a "tongue" (projecting piece) fitting into a "groove" (channel) to form a "joint" (connection). Although it's a technical woodworking term, the physical relation is literal and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the component words should understand it.
Etymology
Tongue and groove joint gets its name from the shapes of the board edges: one edge has a thin projecting tongue and the other a matching groove that the tongue fits into. When the tongue fits into the groove, the boards lock together and make a strong, snug join, which is why the name means 'a way to join wood so it fits tightly'.