noun
tongue and groove joint
A woodworking joint where a protruding tongue on one board fits into a groove on another. Used in flooring, paneling, and traditional Japanese architecture.
この床板はさねはぎで接合されている。
These floorboards are joined with a tongue and groove joint.
さねはぎ加工を施した板材を使うと、隙間ができにくい。
Using boards with tongue and groove processing makes gaps less likely to appear.
あいじゃくり is a similar joint where both boards have a groove and a separate spline is inserted, while さねはぎ has a tongue cut directly on one board.
Compound of さね (tongue of a joint) and はぎ (joining boards edge-to-edge). The kanji 実 (fruit, seed) is used phonetically for さね, and 矧ぐ means to join boards.