miter

Imagine building a picture frame. You don't just butt the flat ends of the wood together—you cut the ends of each piece at a precise angle so they fit snugly and form a neat corner. That angled cut or joint is called a miter.

A miter isn't just for woodworking. It can also mean a sharp corner made when two edges or lines meet at an angle. And in church settings, a miter is the tall, pointed ceremonial hat worn by bishops. Most of the time, though, you'll see the word in carpentry, trim work, sewing, or design, where careful angled corners matter.

A miter refers to the beveled (angled) end of a piece of material—typically wood or molding—that is cut to allow it to fit precisely against another similar piece, forming a corner joint. Think of crown molding in a room; those corners aren't square blocks, they are created with carefully measured and cut miters.

The term can refer both to the cut itself—the angled end of the wood—and the angle at which it is cut. Carpenters use tools like miter saws to create these precise angles. A "45-degree miter" is the most common cut, used to create perfect right-angled corners in picture frames or trim work.

Beyond woodworking, "miter" can describe a corner or joint formed at an angle in other fields too. In sewing, a "mitered corner" is a technique used to create a clean, diagonal corner on the edge of a quilt, napkin, or similar item. In design and geometry, the word can also describe the pointed corner formed where two borders or lines meet.

The word also refers to a "mitre" or "miter," the tall, peaked ceremonial headdress worn by bishops in various Christian traditions. That meaning is separate from the carpentry sense, though the shape may help explain why the same word was used. Whether you are building furniture, finishing a sewing project, or reading about church history, "miter" usually points to an angled form, a shaped corner, or the bishop's hat.