Glossary
Millwright Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential millwright terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key millwright vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in millwright training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Alignment
- Making connected shafts share a common centerline.
- Anchor bolts
- Bolts that secure equipment to foundations.
- Backlash
- Free play between gear teeth.
- Bearing
- A component that supports rotating shafts.
- Center of gravity
- The balance point of a load.
- Coupling
- A device that connects two shafts.
- Dial indicator
- A precision gauge that measures small movements.
- Grout
- A material poured under machine bases for full support.
- Rigging
- Equipment and methods to lift and move loads.
- Runout
- Wobble in a rotating shaft or part.
- Shim
- A thin spacer used to level or align equipment.
- Shutdown
- A planned stop for major maintenance.
- Soft foot
- A machine foot that doesn’t sit flat, causing distortion.
- Tolerance
- The allowed variation in a measurement.
- Vibration analysis
- Measuring vibration to detect machine problems.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Millwright practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Millwright training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.