noun
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a board functioning as the base of anything
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Also called: skirting board. a skirting made of wood
Etymology
Origin of baseboard
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fire damaged a corner of one office, leaving the wall, baseboard, carpet and window frames blackened, according to photos viewed by The Times.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2023
These variable-speed heat pumps run at reduced rates when temperatures are mild, and can operate as much as much as five times more efficiently than traditional electric baseboard or forced air heat.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 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
Mundwiller says baseboards, crown molding and entry doors are suited to satin or higher sheens, because the contrast between a wall and a baseboard, for example, can create an appealing look.
From Washington Post • Aug. 23, 2022
Luckily, the machine had a rubber strip around its base and every time I bumped into a baseboard, the machine bounced back, giving me a slight jolt in protest.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
