bevel
BEV-uhl
/ˈbev.əl/
A sloping surface or edge cut at an angle other than 90 degrees; or to cut an edge at an angle.
In metal fabrication, beveling thick plates creates a V-shaped groove when two edges are placed together, allowing weld metal to penetrate deeply.
The story behind the word. Bevel comes from Old French 'baivel,' meaning sloped or inclined, which in turn was derived from 'baver' (to slobber or gape open, referring to an open angle). Stonemasons and carpenters adopted it in the 16th century.
Word relationships
- chamfer: A chamfer is a narrow 45-degree bevel usually done to relieve a sharp corner, whereas a bevel can span the full thickness at any angle.
- square edge: A square edge meets at an exact 90-degree right angle.
Commonly confused with
- level: Level means horizontal/flat; bevel means angled or sloped.
Word family
- beveled (adjective): Sloped at an angle
- beveling (noun): The process of cutting sloped edges
Collocations
- bevel edge
- bevel angle
- beveled glass
- bevel gauge
Example sentences
- "Before joining the heavy steel plates, the welder used an angle grinder to bevel the edges at thirty degrees." Welding preparation
- "The mirror featured an elegant bevel along its border that caught and reflected light across the room." Woodworking and Glassmaking
Memory hook
BEVEL cuts the edge so it leans like a BEVEL-ing tower. Angle the edge for deep fit.
When not to use
Do not confuse with a simple rounded edge (chamfer or bullnose); bevel strictly means a flat angled slope.
Fun facts
- Without beveled edges, deep penetration welds on thick pipeline steel would be structurally impossible because the weld wire couldn't reach the center.
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