Mason's mitre with much less waste than occurs with a common mitre joint, in which triangular sections must be removed from the ends of both joint members. The terms "back mitre" and "mason's mitre" (or "miter") are often used interchangeably, but are different types of joints, and used for different purposes. Both joints are traditionally used in stone or woodwork. Neither joint requires that one part be coped (or fit) over the other. In the back mitre, the joints follow the mitre and stile/rail joining lines. In the mason's mitre, the intersecting mouldings are carved within a single stone block or the
Mitre of a synod of bishops. During the 18th century (and in a few cases the 19th), soldiers designated as grenadiers in various northern European armies wore a mitre (usually called a "mitre cap") similar in outline to those worn by western bishops. As first adopted in the 1680s this cap had been worn instead of the usual broad-brimmed hat to avoid the headdress being knocked off when the soldier threw a grenade. The hand-grenade in its primitive form had become obsolete by the mid-18th century but grenadiers continued as elite troops in most European armies, usually retaining the mitre cap