A method of joining two heavy structural timbers by cutting interlocking rectangular blocks and recesses into their mating faces. Similar to a crude box joint or dovetail, it prevents the timbers from sliding longitudinally against each other under heavy shear loads. It is frequently used for piecing together the sections of a wooden keel.
Heard on the job
The shipwrights are cutting the tabling for the new keel sections so the joint won't slip under stress.