baseboard

American  

[beys-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbeɪsˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. Also called mopboard, skirt.  a board forming the foot of an interior wall.

2. a board forming the base bases of anything.

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baseboard British  

/ ˈbeɪsˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a board functioning as the base of anything

2. Also called: skirting board.  a skirting made of wood

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Etymology

Origin of baseboard

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; base ¹ + board

Explanation

A baseboard is a piece of wood molding that runs along the bottom of a wall. Where the bottom of a baseboard ends, the floor begins. A baseboard is a decorative architectural element you'll see in most homes, usually a wide board that's painted to match the trim color of the room. A baseboard is useful for hiding any unevenness in the joint where the wall meets the floor. In Britain, this is called skirting. The word baseboard, from the mid-1800s, combines base, "bottom," and board, or "plank."

Example Sentences

Heat pumps operate with electricity and are generally far more efficient than electric baseboard heat or electric furnaces.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2023

This heat source can reduce your electricity use for heating by approximately 50% compared with furnaces, baseboard heaters and other types of electric resistance heating, the department said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2023

On Tuesday, when a child began using the baseboard of the sculpture as a trampoline, Nurse said it did not bother him: He was relieved, he said, at the sculpture’s durability.

From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2022

If you live in an apartment that has baseboard electric heating, it can get quite expensive — $250-$300 per month.

From Encyclopedia.com • Mar. 21, 2018

We went to the opening in the baseboard.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien