chamfer. Bevel, cant, or oblique surface produced by cutting away an arris or corner at an angle (usually 45°), not as big as a splay. Thus a piece of stone or wood (e.g. beam) so treated is chamfered. Chamfers can be hollowed out, or concave, called chamferet, cham-fret, or hollow chamfer, as in a flute, and can be beaded (with a convex bead-like moulding projecting from the chamfer). When the chamfer does not extend the whole length of the object (e.g. beam or splayed jamb), it is a stopped chamfer, sometimes simply treated, but often ornamented (chamfer-stop—see stop). Rustication includes chamfered rustication. Swelled chamfer is a Vitruvian scroll.

cham·fer / ˈchamfər/ • v. [tr.] in carpentry, cut away (a right-angled edge or corner) to make a symmetrical sloping edge.• n. a symmetrical sloping surface at an edge or corner.

chamfer make a groove in XVI; bevel off a square edge XVII. Back-formation from chamfering — (with assim. to -ING 1) F. chamfrain, f. chant edge (CANT 1) + fraint, pp. of OF. fraindre :- L. frangere BREAK.