From Middle English *bevel, from Anglo-Norman *baivel (whence obsolete French beauveau) a diminutive of Old French baïf (“open-mouthed”), perhaps from baer (“to gape”), from Medieval Latin *batāre (“to gape, yawn, be open”), probably of imitative origin. If so, then related to Italian badare.
Meanings
Having the slant of a bevel; slanting.
a bevel angle
(figuratively, obsolete) Morally distorted; not upright.
I may be straight, though they themselves be bevel. 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 121”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
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Translations (3)
pl fazowany (Having the slant of a bevel; slanting) · pt biselada (Having the slant of a bevel; slanting) · pt biselado (Having the slant of a bevel; slanting)
From Middle English *bevel, from Anglo-Norman *baivel (whence obsolete French beauveau) a diminutive of Old French baïf (“open-mouthed”), perhaps from baer (“to gape”), from Medieval Latin *batāre (“to gape, yawn, be open”), probably of imitative origin. If so, then related to Italian badare.
Meanings
An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.
to give a bevel to the edge of a table or a stone slab
I added a bevel all around the bottom to reduce the visual mass a bit. A lot of MCM furniture uses tricks like this to appear lighter. 2026 August 14, Collin Knoff, “Mid-Century Modern Table”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 50:
An instrument consisting of two rules or arms, jointed together at one end, and opening to any angle, for adjusting the surfaces of work to the same or a given inclination; a bevel square.
finding the length with a bevel 1832, Edward Shaw, Civil Architecture:
A die used for cheating, having some sides slightly rounded instead of flat.
Bevels are shapes having one or more sides sandpapered so that they are slightly rounded rather than flat. 1978, John Scarne, Scarne's Guide to Casino Gambling, page 176:
The different types of dice made for cheating (flat passers, bevels, cut edges, loaded dice, […] 1974, The New York Times Book Review, volume 2, page 35:
de Schrägfläche (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · pl skos (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Schrägung (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · it smussatura (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ota ییو (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · it bisello (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · bg фаска (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · cmn 斜角 (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · fr biseau (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · bg скосяване (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · sv avrundning (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Fase (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Gehrung (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · fi särmä (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · pl ukos (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · pt bisel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ro bizou (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · cy ymyl pefel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · cy ymyl befel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · es bisel (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · eo bevelo (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ru скос (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · pl faseta (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · fi viiste (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · it bisellatura (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Abschrägung (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ru фа́ска (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Abfasung (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · sv avfasning (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ga faobhar beibhealta (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · de Schräge (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle) · ca bisell (An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle)
From Middle English *bevel, from Anglo-Norman *baivel (whence obsolete French beauveau) a diminutive of Old French baïf (“open-mouthed”), perhaps from baer (“to gape”), from Medieval Latin *batāre (“to gape, yawn, be open”), probably of imitative origin. If so, then related to Italian badare.
Meanings
(transitive) To give a canted edge to a surface; to chamfer.
fr biseauter (give a canted edge to a surface) · de fasen (give a canted edge to a surface) · pl fazować (give a canted edge to a surface) · ru скоси́ть (give a canted edge to a surface) · de schrägen (give a canted edge to a surface) · ro bizota (give a canted edge to a surface) · fr aiguiser (give a canted edge to a surface) · mi heretua (give a canted edge to a surface) · io bizelizar (give a canted edge to a surface) · es biselar (give a canted edge to a surface) · fi viistää (give a canted edge to a surface) · de anfasen (give a canted edge to a surface) · pt biselar (give a canted edge to a surface) · eo beveli (give a canted edge to a surface) · de anschrägen (give a canted edge to a surface) · ca bisellar (give a canted edge to a surface) · fr chanfreiner (give a canted edge to a surface) · ru ска́шивать (give a canted edge to a surface) · mi whakatipihori (give a canted edge to a surface) · pl fasetować (give a canted edge to a surface) · fi viistota (give a canted edge to a surface) · bg скосявам (give a canted edge to a surface) · de abschrägen (give a canted edge to a surface)