HARDWARE GLOSSARY 

Knowing your decorative hardware terms is important when it comes to ordering our speciality products for your space. For your convenience and to ensure clarity, we have put together a collection of in-depth descriptions of the terms used within the industry that will assist you along the way.

Active Door 
This is the primary door, in a pair of doors that is used to enter and has operable door hardware installed.

American or U.S. Cylinders 
This is usually referenced when ordering multipoint trim sets for American multipoint locking systems. The cylinders tend to sit proud and are integrated into an escutcheon plate.

Back-to-Back
This usually refers to independent door handles being mounted back to back from each other on both sides of the door leaf.

Backset
This is the length of the latch and the position of the lockset on to the door stile. It is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the handle, knob, deadbolt or predrilled face bore. The standard backsets for a tubular lockset are 2 3/8” or 2 3/4” and for a mortise lockset are 2 1/2” or 2 3/4” in length.

Clavos
This is a decorative nail with a large head that are installed onto the surface of the door, usually in series.

Cylinder
This is the round plug where the key is inserted into the lock tumbler or keyway that operates the lock. Cylinders can be present on one side (single cylinder) or both sides (double cylinder) of a door and keyed independently or alike upon request.

Deadbolt
This is a heavy-duty tubular bolt that acts as the locking mechanism, operated by a thumb turn or key. It can be independent or integrated into an escutcheon plate and be accessed by either side in an entry function or only by one side in a patio function.

Deadlock
This is a heavy-duty mortise bolt that acts as the locking mechanism, operated by a thumb turn or key. It can be independent or integrated into an escutcheon plate and be accessed by either side in an entry function or only by one side in a patio function.

Dummy Function
This is an inoperable handle or knob that is usually surface mounted onto the face of the door leaf with an independent roller latch or ball catch to keep the door closed.

Edge Bore
This is typically a round hole that has been drilled into the edge of the door leaf to allow for installation of the door hardware. Doors can come pre-bored, that are usually 1” in diameter for North American tubular latches.

Edge Pull
This is a recessed pull installed into the edge of a door leaf in order to retrieve it from a pocket.

Emergency Release
This refers to a privacy spring latch or mortise bolt having the capability to be unlocked from the exterior side without a key in case of an emergency.

Entry Function
This is an operable handle, knob or grip set that is installed in a door leaf with an integrated latch and heavy-duty deadbolt or deadlock to keep the door secure. You can access the locking mechanism from either side of the door by key or thumb turn.

Escutcheon Plate
This is a larger back plate a handle or knob is attached to and installed on to the door leaf.

European Cylinder
This is usually referenced when ordering multipoint trim sets for European multipoint locking systems or mortise lock bodies. The cylinders tend to sit flush and are independent to the escutcheon plate.

Face Bore
This is typically a round hole that has been drilled onto the face of the door leaf to allow for installation of the door hardware. Doors can come pre-bored, that are usually 2 1/8” in diameter for North American tubular rosettes.

Face Plate
This is a small decorative cut out plate that covers the tubular or mortise latch on the edge of the door leaf.

Flush Pull
This is a recessed pull installed into the face of the door leaf typically used on sliding bypass or pocket doors.

Handing
This is usually required when ordering decorative door hardware as it indicates which side the door is hinged on from the outside. To determine door handing, stand outside the room or building and indicate which side the hinges are on. For example, a door with hinges on the right side is a right-handed door and a door with hinges on the left side is a left-handed door.

Hinge Strap
This is a decorative strap that is applied beside the door hinge to the surface of a door to imitate a traditional strap hinge.

Jamb
This is the surrounding door frame where the door leaf and hinges are attached to.

Mortise Latch/Lock
This is an enclosed lock body or cassette that has an interconnecting latch and/or lock, requiring a special face bore and pocket to be mortised out of the door leaf.

Passage Function
This is an operable handle or knob that is installed in a door leaf with an integrated latch to keep the door closed.

Patio Function
This is an operable handle, knob or grip set that is installed in a door leaf with an integrated latch and heavy-duty deadbolt or deadlock to keep the door secure. There is no exterior side access to the locking mechanism, only from the interior side by a thumb turn.

Privacy Mortise Bolt Function
This is an operable handle or knob that is installed in a door leaf with an integrated latch and an independent locking mortise bolt with a thumb turn and an emergency release to keep the door secure.

Privacy Tubular Latch Function
This is an operable handle or knob that is installed in a door leaf with an integrated locking latch with an emergency release to keep the door secure.

Rosette
This is a small back plate a handle or knob can be attached to and installed on to the door leaf.

Spindle
This is a metal rod that passes through a tubular latch or mortise lock body to connect a handle or knob on either side of the door leaf.

Spring Assist
This is where a handle or knob is attached to an escutcheon plate with a spring to support and assist the overall longevity and operation of the door hardware set.

Strike Plate
This is a small protective plate that is installed in the doorjamb when operating a tubular or mortise latch.

Swing
This is usually required when ordering mortise locks as it indicates which way the door leaf swings, either into a room (inswing) or out of a room (outswing).

Swing Cover
This is a decorative flap that covers the cylinder or emergency release access.

Thumb Turn
This is a piece you turn with your fingers to engage or retract the locking mechanism on the interior side of a lockset.

Tubular Latch/Bolt
This is a tubular shaped latch and/or bolt that can accommodate a standard North American face and edge bore on a door leaf.