Wood Glossary

Learn all about the terms relating to wood that may be found on our website

Back Relieved
Indented patterns on the rear surface of the board, enabling it to flex and adjust in size.

Bolt Hole
An aperture formed by passing a bolt through it.

Bow
A longitudinal curvature in the wood.

Check
A fissure spanning the growth rings but not extending from one surface to the other.

Cup
A curvature in the width of the wood, preventing it from resting flat on the ground.

Knot
Located at the base of a side branch or dormant bud, it represents an imperfection within the wood.

Mortise
A hole passing entirely through the piece of wood.

Notch
An absence or removal of a portion of the wood, resulting in irregularity.

Pith
A dark spot that was previously an upward-growing twig when the tree was in its early stages of growth.

Sap Wood
The external layer of a tree's wood that, during the tree's life, carried nutrients and moisture to the tree.

Split
A fissure traversing the growth rings, extending from one surface to the opposite.

Twist
A spiral deformation running along the length of a timber piece.

Variation
A naturally occurring change in wood coloration that falls outside the categories of sapwood or pith, and is regarded as typical.