I am looking for the proper English name of the little hole in door frames where the latch goes in. Specifically, I want to know what that hole is called for "indoor" doors, without a lock, e.g. the door to a bedroom. Please note that I want to refer to the hole itself, not to the metal plate surrounding it.
Is there a term in common use, as opposed to a professional term? For example, "I got my finger stuck in the ….". Even if there's not one word to describe it, how would a native English speaker finish that sentence?
Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:
Best Answer
The hole itself is a mortise which is:
a hole or recess cut into a part, designed to receive a corresponding projection (a tenon) on another part so as to join or lock the parts together.
Example: The picture shows the strikeplate installed over the mortise.
More commonly though, strikeplate hole would likely be more widely understood.