wainscoting

/ˈweɪnskɑtɪŋ/

Other forms: wainscotings

Wainscoting is the style of indoor wall covering that's made of wooden boards. It's not uncommon for rooms to have wainscoting on the lower half of their walls.

Before the 18th century, wainscoting frequently covered the entire surface of a wall, paneling a dining room or library from floor to ceiling. Newer houses are more likely to have wainscoting only on the bottom part of a wall, if at all. The wall-covering material itself can also be called wainscoting or wainscot. The original wainscoting was made of oak, but softer wood is more common today.

Definitions of wainscoting

1. noun

   wooden panels that can be used to line the walls of a room
   synonyms: wainscot, wainscotting

   type of:

   panel

   sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something
2. noun

   a wainscoted wall (or wainscoted walls collectively)
   synonyms: wainscotting

   type of:

   wall

   an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure