n.
Variant: also mor · tice
Pronunciation: ' mo ̇ r-t ə s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English mortays, from Anglo-French mortais
Date: 15th century
: a hole, groove, or slot into or through which some other part of an arrangement of parts fits or passes especially : a cavity cut into a piece of material (as timber) to receive a tenon ― see DOVETAIL illustration