Glossary

Construction Dictionary and Glossary of Construction Terms

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M

Term	Definition
Mass	Property of a body that resists acceleration and produces the effect of inertia. The weight of a body is the result of the pull of gravity on the body's mass.
Metric Terms	Metric units shown as equivalents in this Handbook are from the International System of Units in use throughout the world, as established by the General Conference of Weights and Measures in 1960. Their use here complies with the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, which committed the United States to a coordinated voluntary conversion to the metric system of measurement. Refer to the Appendix for metric units and conversion factors applicable to subjects covered in this Handbook. For additional information, refer to ASTM E380-76, Standard for Metric Practice.
Miter	Joint formed by two pieces of material cut to meet at an angle.
Model Code	Building code, written and published by a building-official association, available to states, counties and municipalities for adoption (for a fee) in lieu of their own, e.g., Uniform Building Code, Standard Building Code, National Building Code.
Module	(1) In architecture, a selected unit of measure used as a basis for building layout; (2) In industrialized housing, a three-dimensional section of a building, factory-built, shipped as a unit and interconnected with other modules to form the complete building. Single-family units factory-built in two halves are usually referred to as "sectionals."
Modulus of Elasticity (E)	Ratio between deformation, a measure of the stiffness of a material.
Moment of Inertia (I)	Calculated numerical relationship (expressed in in.4) of the resistance to bending of a member, a function of the cross-sectional shape and size. A measure of the stiffness of a member based on its shape. Larger moments of inertia indicate greater resistance to bending for a given material.
Moulding (also Molding)	Narrow decorative strip applied to a surface.
Mullion	Vertical bar or division in a window frame separating two or more panes.
Muntin	Horizontal bar or division in a window frame separating multiple panes or lights.
Music/Machinery Transmission Class (MTC)	Rating developed by U.S. Gypsum Company to isolate music and machinery/mechanical equipment noise or any sound with a substantial portion of low frequency energy. MTC does not replace Sound Transmission Class (STC) but complements it.