baseboard

[beys-bawrd, -bohrd]

noun

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

Origin of baseboard

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; base¹ + board

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for baseboard

Contemporary Examples of baseboard

Other features include True Radiant, which compensates for the longer time it takes for baseboard systems to adjust temperatures.
How the Nest Thermostat Could Save the Planet
Daniel Gross
July 25, 2013

Historical Examples of baseboard

The walls of the room have a 3-inch baseboard, but no wainscotting.
The Fairfax County Courthouse
Ross D. Netherton
They crept along slowly, their wagons loaded from baseboard to roof.
Historic Adventures
Rupert S. Holland
The hopper is securely fastened on top of the baseboard and over the cylinder.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2
Various
The slot in the small end of the baseboard is for the film to pass through.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2
Various
The parts for the gongs and electrical apparatus are supported on a baseboard, 3/4 in.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2
Various

British Dictionary definitions for baseboard

baseboard

noun

a board functioning as the base of anything
Also called: skirting board US and Canadian a skirting made of wood

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for baseboard

1854, from base (n.) + board (n.1).