mittre

Mittre is a term used in English with two primary senses, depending on context, and it often appears in different spellings between British and American usage. In common woodworking, the term is usually written as miter (American) or mitre (British) and refers to a joint formed by cutting two pieces at complementary angles so they meet to form a corner. A typical example is a 90-degree corner made by two 45-degree cuts. Mitre joints are common in picture frames, cabinetry, trim, and molding. Tools such as a mitre saw, mitre box, or a protractor are used to produce precise angles.

In ecclesiastical contexts, mitre (often mitre in British English) denotes the ceremonial headgear worn by bishops and certain abbots. The mitre is a tall, liturgical headdress that may be pointed or rounded in form, frequently featuring decorative elements such as brocade, embroidery, or jewels. It carries symbolic meaning related to office and authority within many Christian traditions.

Origins and usage: the two senses share a common root in the idea of joining or overlapping at an edge, though they developed separately in carpentry and clerical dress. The British spelling mitre is commonly used for both the hat and the joint in many dictionaries, while American English tends to prefer miter for the carpentry sense.

See also: mitre joint, mitre saw, bishop’s mitre.