Kitchen Cabinet Glossary
Kitchen cabinet terminology covers the parts, materials, construction methods, and hardware you’ll encounter when comparing cabinets or planning a kitchen. This glossary explains terms such as face frame, full overlay, dovetail, and toe kick, with individual definitions and examples.
Browse the A–Z list below or search for a term. Select an entry for a closer look at what it means and how it’s used in cabinetry.
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- Backsplash
- Ball Bearing Guide
- Bamboo Wood
- Base Angle Cabinet
- Base Cabinet
- Base Diagonal Corner Cabinet
- Base End Cabinet
- Base End Shelf
- Base Skin
- Base Spice Pull-out
- Baseboard
- Beadboard Paneling
- Beech Wood
- Bevel
- Birch Wood
- Bird’s Eye Grain
- Bridge Cabinet
- Build-Up
- Bumper Pad
- Burl
- Burnishing
- Butcher Block
- Butt Door
- Butt Hinge
- Butt Joint
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- Cabinet Clamp
- Cabinet Rasp
- Cabinet Scraper
- Caesarstone Countertop
- Cam Lock
- Cambria Countertop
- Carpenter’s Glue
- Casing
- Cathedral Door
- Cedar Wood
- Center Stile
- Ceramic Tile
- Cherry Wood
- Chestnut Wood
- Chop Saw
- Circular Saw
- Classic Crown Molding
- Color Variation
- Column
- Composite Wood
- Concealed Hinge
- Concrete Countertop
- Contemporary Style
- Cook-top
- Cope and Stick
- Corbel
- Corner Cabinet
- Corner Sink Base
- Corridor Kitchen
- Country Style
- Cross Grain
- Custom Cabinet
- Cutting Board
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- Sapwood
- Sash
- Scribe Molding
- Sealer
- Self-Close Mechanism
- Semi-Custom Cabinet
- Shaker Style Cabinets
- Shim
- Sidemount Glides
- Single Oven Cabinet
- Sink Base Cabinet
- Sink Tilt-out Tray
- Skin
- SKU
- Slab Door
- Soapstone Countertop
- Soffit
- Softwood
- Solid Surface Countertop
- Solid Wood
- Soss Hinge
- Spice Drawer Insert
- Spice Rack
- Square-Cut Joint
- Stain
- Stainless Steel Countertop
- Stem Rack
- Stile
- Stock Cabinet
- Straight Grain
- Surface Mounted Hinge
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No definitions available
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Common kitchen cabinet terms
- Cabinet box (carcass): The main body of a cabinet, including its sides, back, and bottom. Doors, drawers, and shelves attach to or fit within it.
- Face frame: The frame attached to the front of a framed cabinet box. Frameless cabinets have no face frame.
- Stile and rail: The vertical and horizontal pieces of a cabinet face frame or a frame-and-panel door. Stiles run vertically; rails run horizontally.
- Overlay: How much a cabinet door or drawer front overlaps the face frame or cabinet box edges.
- Toe kick: The recessed space beneath a base cabinet that gives your feet room when you stand at the counter.
- Filler strip: A strip used to fill a gap beside a cabinet, often against a wall. It can also provide clearance for doors or drawers to open.
Kitchen Cabinet Terminology FAQs
What are the main parts of a kitchen cabinet?
A kitchen cabinet has a box that holds its shelves, drawers, or both. Depending on the design, it may also have doors, hinges, and drawer slides. The drawer front is the visible face attached to the drawer box. Framed cabinets also have a face frame, and base cabinets usually have a recessed toe kick.
What is the difference between base, wall, and tall cabinets?
Base cabinets sit on the floor and usually support the countertop. Wall cabinets mount to the wall, often above a counter. Tall cabinets extend from the floor to near the top of the cabinetry and are commonly used for pantry storage or built-in ovens.
What are the parts of a cabinet door called?
A five-piece cabinet door has two vertical stiles, two horizontal rails, and a center panel. Shaker and raised-panel doors commonly use this construction. A slab door has a flat face without a separate stile-and-rail frame. See our cabinet door style guide for examples.
What is the difference between framed and frameless cabinets?
Framed cabinets have a face frame attached to the front of the cabinet box. Frameless cabinets have no face frame, so their hinges attach directly to the box sides. Both types come in a range of door styles and finishes. Our framed vs. frameless cabinet guide compares their construction and storage access.
What do full overlay, partial overlay, and inset mean?
These terms describe how doors and drawer fronts fit against a cabinet. Full overlay covers most of the face frame on framed cabinets or the box edges on frameless cabinets. Partial overlay leaves more of the face frame visible. Inset doors and drawers fit inside the frame opening, with their fronts flush with the frame.
What are the different types of corner cabinets?
Corner cabinets include blind corner, diagonal, and L-shaped designs. A blind corner cabinet extends into the corner, leaving part of its storage behind the adjacent cabinet. A diagonal cabinet has an angled front, while an L-shaped cabinet follows the corner with two door faces at a right angle. Some use Lazy Susan shelves that rotate to bring items within reach.
What is the difference between soft-close and self-closing hardware?
A self-closing mechanism pulls a door or drawer shut once it reaches a certain point. Soft-close hardware slows the final part of that movement to reduce slamming. A hinge or drawer slide can have both features, but self-closing hardware does not always include soft-close.
What is the difference between RTA and pre-assembled cabinets?
RTA stands for ready-to-assemble. These cabinets arrive in parts that you assemble before installation. Pre-assembled cabinets arrive with their boxes already built, though trim, hardware, or other components may still need installation. Both can use the same materials and construction. Our RTA vs. assembled cabinet guide compares cost, assembly, and delivery.
