Entertainment Center Glossary of Terms
Different industries have their own jargon. The furniture industry is no exception. There are lots of terms you might see while shopping for an entertainment center. We do our best not to bombard you with acronyms and jargon but there are some terms we can’t avoid. Check out some of the entertainment center-related terms below to decode the double-dutch.
Banding - A special veneer divided into small, thin strips and placed on furniture adding a decorative effect.
Canterbury - A small magazine rack that is typically portable in nature.
Case Piece - Any piece of furniture offering interior storage space.
Center Glide - A center track allowing the television to rest on a stand and be pulled in and out of the unit.
Chamfer - A corner or edge of a furniture piece that is cut at a distinct angle or beveled.
Chinoiserie - A popular Chinese design that involves painting/lacquering.
Console - A table fixed to a wall and supported by one or more carved legs. Also any table meant to be placed against a wall.
Corner Unit - An entertainment center or other piece of furniture designed to fit in the corner of a room while displaying the front of the furniture.
Double Doweled - A joint involving two joined pieces of wood connected via two dowel pins instead of one. This provides added durability and security.
Dovetail - A specific joint that involves interlocking two pieces of wood with special cuts
Dowel - A wooden pin used to attach pieces of wood.
Entertainment Center - A shelving unit designed to house your TV, radio and stereo equipment, and other multimedia devices. Entertainment centers come in all sizes and vary greatly in style.
Gallery - A small ornamental railing placed on cabinets and tables often for decorative purposes, but also to protect items from falling.
Hardwood - Any wood derived from angiosperms. Hardwoods include oak, beech, maple, mahogany, and walnut.
High Pressure Laminates - A synthetic material applied to the front of furniture to protect the piece. Laminates protect against heat, soil, and stains. High pressure laminates are treated with paints, lacquers, and other finishing materials to blend it with the overall style of the furniture piece.
Inlay - A material added to furniture creating accents and adding beauty.
Pressboard - A durable board often used for case backs and other elements of furniture, also known as composition board or particle board.
Soft Woods - Wood from a conifer. A conifer is any seed-bearing tree. Softwoods include pine, cedar and redwood.
Specific Gravity - Measures the weight to density ratio of the wood and then compares it to pure water which has a specific gravity of 1; in other words, the higher the specific gravity the more dense the object.
Television Cavity - The space in an entertainment center or cabinet unit designed to hold your television. The television cavity is designed to hold up to a certain size television, include height, width, and depth.
Television Stand - A stand designed specifically to hold a television. Television stands are also commonly referred to as a transition entertainment center.
Veneer - A thin decorative piece of wood applied to underlying wood solids or particleboard. Veneers are used to match and balance grain, create inlay and banding effects.
Wall Units - A larger free-standing or wall hung unit that contains drawers, shelves, cabinets, desks, ban units, entertainment centers or other features.
