Article
Cabinet Terminology: A Complete Guide for Professional Shops
Cutlistor Team6 min read
Introduction
Cabinet shops run on shared language. Gable, nailer, filler, toe kick, clear opening, and yield mean specific things on a drawing, a cut list, and a purchase order. When estimators and the floor use different words for the same part, you order the wrong sheet or assemble the wrong box.
This guide is a commercially focused glossary for professional cabinet makers. It groups terms by topic, points to deeper articles in the cabinet pillar, and ties vocabulary to cut lists and nesting in Cutlistor.
Start from the cabinet making hub for tools and calculators, then use this page as the vocabulary index.
Carcase and Box Terms
| Term | Meaning | Deep dive |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet box / carcase / carcass | Structural shell of the unit | /blog/what-is-a-cabinet-box |
| Gable / side / end | Vertical side panel | /blog/what-is-a-cabinet-gable |
| Bottom | Floor panel of the box | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
| Top / stretcher | Full top or front/rear stiffening strip | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
| Back | Rear panel for square and fastening | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
| Nailer / hanging rail | Horizontal strip for wall screws | /blog/what-is-a-cabinet-nailer |
| Partition | Interior vertical divider | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
| Fixed shelf | Structural or permanently set shelf | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
| Adjustable shelf | Shelf on pins or clips | /blog/cabinet-parts-explained |
Front, Frame, and Door Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Face frame | Stiles and rails attached to the front of the box |
| Stile | Vertical face-frame member |
| Rail | Horizontal face-frame member |
| Mullion | Intermediate vertical in a frame |
| Frameless / European / full access | No front frame; banded box edge |
| Full overlay | Door covers most of the front edge or frame |
| Partial overlay / half overlay | Door covers part of the frame |
| Inset | Door sits inside the frame opening |
| Reveal | Gap or show line between doors / edges |
| Light rail | Trim under wall cabinets |
| Scribe / filler | Strip closing gaps to walls or appliances |
Toe Kick and Plinth Terms
Base cabinets need foot clearance and a finished floor line.
- Toe kick / kick space: recessed zone at the bottom front of bases
- Plinth: platform or face system under the box (common European term)
- Kick face: finished strip covering the kick
- Adjustable legs: hardware that sets height; often paired with clip-on plinth
- Integral recess: kick cut into the gable blank
Dimension and Spec Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Overall W / D / H | Outside box size as placed on the plan |
| Clear opening | Usable opening inside frame or box |
| Finished size | Size after joinery and banding as assembled |
| Rough size | Oversize blank for scribe or trim |
| Carcase depth | Box depth, usually excluding doors |
| Module / stock width | Standard width step (often 3 in) |
| 32 mm system | Boring grid for hinges, slides, pins |
| Kerf | Material removed by blade or bit |
| Yield | Part area / purchased stock area (or length) |
Standard Size Cheatsheet (NA Kitchen)
Memorize these defaults, then document exceptions on the job ticket.
- Base height: 34.5 in (876 mm) carcase before counter
- Finished counter: ~36 in (914 mm) with typical top
- Base depth: 24 in (610 mm) carcase
- Wall depth: 12 in (305 mm)
- Wall heights: 30 or 42 in common (762 or 1067 mm)
- Toe kick: ~3 x 3 in (76 x 76 mm)
- Tall heights: 84 / 90 / 96 in (2134 / 2286 / 2438 mm)
Material and Edge Terms
Material language keeps nests grouped correctly.
- Melamine: resin-coated panel common in frameless production
- Plywood: layered wood veneer panel; paint or stain grade variants
- MDF: dense fiber panel; excellent for paint, sensitive to water
- Particleboard core: common under melamine; watch moisture and fasteners
- Edge banding / edgebanding: tape or solid edge on exposed panel edges
- Show face / good face: the face that must read correctly for grain and finish
- Grain direction: orientation of pattern; lock in nesting when required
Hardware Terms (Cut List Adjacent)
Hardware usually lives on a separate BOM, but it drives boring and clearances.
- Cup hinge / concealed hinge: common frameless door hinge
- Mounting plate: hinge plate on the gable
- Drawer slide / runner: undermount, side-mount, or roller systems
- Shelf pin / sleeve: support for adjustable shelves
- Confirmat / dowel / lock dowel: knockdown or factory joinery fasteners
- Handle / pull / knob: user hardware; affects door boring only
Production, Cut List, and Nesting Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BOM | Bill of materials; full parts and hardware list |
| Cut list | Cuttable parts with sizes and quantities |
| Nest / nesting | Packing parts onto sheet stock |
| Linear optimization | Packing cut lengths onto sticks |
| Sheet count | How many full sheets the nest requires |
| Remnant / offcut | Usable leftover stock |
| Guillotine layout | Nest pattern compatible with through-cuts |
| Production run | Batch of repeated boxes or jobs |
| Job ticket / traveler | Floor document for one job or box |
| Elevation ID | Label tying a box to the drawing |
How These Terms Map to Cutlistor
Cutlistor is a browser-based sheet (2D) and linear (1D) cut list optimizer with kerf, grain, PDF export, CSV/XLSX import, AI plan scan, and 3D glTF/GLB/Collada import on applicable tiers. It is not a full cabinet design suite: no room planner, no hinge boring maps.
No account is needed to try it, and the free tier does not count the optimizing itself — parts can be edited and re-nested indefinitely. It counts finished PDFs and new projects, at 3 a day. Lists are limited to 20 rows, CSV and XLSX uploads to 5 rows per file, and work does not survive the session.
Pro is $12/mo or $99/yr; Business $25/mo or $249/yr; Team $99/mo or $999/yr (up to 5 seats). Paid plans add saved projects, stock inventory, and DXF export for CNC handoff of rectangles.
- Gables, bottoms, shelves, backs, nailers: sheet optimizer
- Face-frame stiles/rails, fillers, many kick faces: linear optimizer
- Use part labels that match this glossary on PDF cut plans
FAQ
Gable vs end panel: which should we print on labels?
Pick one shop standard and stick to it. Many NA shops print GABLE-L / GABLE-R. If you sell decorative skins separately, use END-SKIN as a second code so purchasing does not double-order.
Does 'European cabinet' mean frameless?
In sales speech, usually yes: frameless, full overlay, often 32 mm hardware. Technically Europe builds both styles. Confirm construction, not marketing adjectives, on the PO.
BOM vs cut list: do we need both?
Yes. The BOM covers everything you buy. The cut list covers what you cut. Nesting tools consume the cut list; purchasing still needs hinges and slides from the BOM.
Should our glossary use inches or millimeters?
Use the unit your floor measures in. Publish both on standards sheets if you mix residential NA inch work with metric frameless libraries, but never mix units inside one cut list file.
Conclusion
Open the cabinet making pillar for calculators and guides, or start a free nest with your next kitchen BOM.