Mortise vs mortice
Both mortise and mortice are acceptable spellings of the same word in the UK and US. The term is based on the concept of carving out a space to form a strong link between the two pieces.
In carpentry, stonemasonry and ironworking, the word mortise (or mortice) is associated with the term tenon to form a mortise and tenon joint. Generally, mortise is the spelling most commonly used in the UK for carpentry.
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| The lintels at Stonehenge are secured by stone mortise and tenon joints. |
In security, a mortice (or mortise) lock is a type of lock that is installed in doors, furniture or other objects that require a strong form of protection. Generally, mortice is the spelling most commonly used in the UK for security.
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| A common lever-type mortice lock in the UK. |
Both spellings can be either nouns (as described in mortise joints and mortice locks); they are also used as a verb (to “mortice” or “mortise”), meaning to join.
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