cham|fer

cham|fer «CHAM fuhr», noun, verb.

–n.

a slanting, or sometimes concave, surface made by cutting off an edge or corner equally on both sides, used as decoration on posts or the like, or in making certain types of joints between structural members.

–v.t.

1. to cut off at an edge or corner to make a slanting surface; bevel: »

It wasn't a big piece, just the curve neatly chamfered off (Punch).

2. to make a groove or furrow in: »

to chamfer timber.

╂[< Middle French chamfrain < Old French chanfraindre < chant edge (< Latin canthus cant²) + fraindre break < Latin frangere]