Glossary

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Dado - A rectangular channel cut partway into a board.

Dante Chair - Type of chair popular in the Italian Renaissance period with heavy curved arms and legs, usually having a leather or cloth back and seat.

Davenport Table - A long narrow table which may be placed behind a sofa.

Day Bed - A long chair or bed which, in French design, has one arm. In America, a footboard of the same height is sometimes added, and the piece is placed lengthwise along the wall.

Deciduous - Trees that shed their foliage annually. Commonly referred to as hardwood.

Deflection - The amount of sag in a shelf, floor, joist or counter caused by the weights its supporting.

Directoire - A period of design in France after the Revolution, from 1795 to 1804. Characterized by Roman motifs and named for the Directory, the government at the time.

Dovetail - A term in carpentry used to designate a method of joinery. A tenon or tongue that flares outward in the shape of a dove's tail that interlocks with alternating similar grooves or projections from another piece of wood. Frequently used to join corners of drawers and cabinets.

Dowel - Headless pin of metal or wood that fits into a corresponding hole in another piece, forming a joint fastening them together.

Drake Foot - A carved three toed foot , also a Trifid Foot.

Dozuki - A type of Japanese woodworking saw that is used for fine joinery work such as dovetails. Its Western equivalent is a backsaw.

Drawer Stop - A device installed in a cabinet to limit the drawers' travel.

Dressing - Shaping the cutting edge of a chisel to correct the bevel.

Drop-Front - A top or front of a desk hinged at the bottom that drops to a horizontal position, forming a surface for writing, Also called a drop lid.

Drop-Leaf - A leaf, hinged to the side of a table, which drops at the side when not in use.

Drum Table - A round table with a deep apron resembling a drum.

Dumbwaiter Table - A serving table consisting of three or four circular trays on a central shaft with the smallest being at the top and the largest at the bottom. Also known as a tier table.

Dutch Foot - A type of disk or pad foot used in varying forms on either turned or cabriole legs.