baseboard

[ beys-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

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

baseboard

/ ˈbeɪsˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a board functioning as the base of anything
2. Also calledskirting board a skirting made of wood

Word History and Origins

Origin of baseboard¹

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

Example Sentences

That’s not enough to act as a complete heat source, but it can supplement baseboards or another heating method.

From Popular-Science

Fido gnawed on the baseboards instead of the $200 worth of dog toys you’ve purchased for him.

From Washington Blade

A week or two before your gathering, start to deep-clean the areas of your home you may have neglected — the stove, refrigerator, windows and baseboards, for example — to create a fresh canvas for party planning.

From Washington Post

The whole frame, the handlebars, the stem and the baseboard are all made of this strong, sustainable, lightweight material.

From TechCrunch

A crevice tool lets you reach behind the couch and up against the baseboards.

From Popular-Science

Other features include True Radiant, which compensates for the longer time it takes for baseboard systems to adjust temperatures.

From The Daily Beast

A little later the walls began to be covered with panels of thin slabs of marble with a baseboard and cornice.

From Project Gutenberg

Her costly velvet carpets still came right to the edge of the floor and were snugly tacked close to the baseboard.

From Project Gutenberg

Indeed, a set of encyclopedias of ancient vintage found lodgment along the baseboard on the floor.

From Project Gutenberg

A crack between flooring and baseboard may be the air leak that has caused the trouble.

From Project Gutenberg

On the wall opposite the fireplace there was a broad paneling of the same width filled with a mirror from baseboard to ceiling.

From Project Gutenberg