dovetailing

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dove·tail

(dŭv′tāl′)

1. A fan-shaped tenon that forms a tight interlocking joint when fitted into a corresponding mortise.

2. A joint formed by interlocking one or more such tenons and mortises.

v. dove·tailed, dove·tail·ing, dove·tails

v.tr.

1. To cut into or join by means of dovetails.

2. To connect or combine precisely or harmoniously.

v.intr.

1. To be joined together by means of dovetails.

2. To combine or interlock into a unified whole: The nurses' schedules dovetailed, so that one was always on duty.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dovetailing

(ˈdʌvˌteɪlɪŋ)

the act of fitting together neatly

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

References in classic literature ?

The most extraordinary thing to my mind, of all the strange and wonderful things that happened upon that Friday, was the dovetailing of the commonplace habits of our social order with the first beginnings of the series of events that was to topple that social order headlong.

View in context

It's called "friction stir dovetailing." In the wooden approach, woodworkers use "dovetails," or cuts that fit together like puzzle pieces and glue to securely join pieces of wood together.

Merging Metal Frenemies

I just install the bushing and bit in the router, set the cutting depth and start dovetailing. The template comes with instructions and the bits and guide bushing to fit most router bases.