French word

about

Pronunciation

IPA/abu/

Meaning

  • masculine nounend grain

Example

L'about de cette poutre est bien taillé.

The end grain of this beam is neatly cut.

Illustration for about (end grain)

More examples

J'ai remarqué un éclat sur l'about de la porte.

I noticed a chip on the door's end grain.

Core concept

A cleanly cut end face that becomes a contact point when two timber ends meet.

Similar words

extrémité: The farthest end or edge of a thing or place.
bout: The pointed or terminal part of an object.
raccord: The joint where two structural members are connected.

Definition in French

Extrémité coupée d'un morceau de bois, la face résultant de la coupe ; le terme sert aussi à nommer la jointure quand on met bout contre bout deux pièces.

Word origin

About is derived from the verb abouter, which comes from bout, meaning an end or extremity.

Usage tips

  • About is chiefly a technical woodworking term, while ordinary French usually uses bout for an end.

Other meanings

  • butt jointnoun

Word lists with this word