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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
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
To confirm a stud location, drill a tiny hole into plaster just above the baseboard, where it won’t be very noticeable.
From Washington Post ● May 2, 2022
Dirt was in the baseboard that John scrubbed every Saturday, and roughened the cupboard shelves that held the cracked and gleaming dishes.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Fix the baseboards, the little dings in the cabinets, the landscaping, the mulch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Often, the instinct is to just begin: grab a garbage bag, empty the freezer, start wiping baseboards, briefly consider alphabetizing your spices.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026
They particularly like to hunker down anywhere near where people sleep, such as in mattresses, furniture and baseboards.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 13, 2023
Much like an unsupervised toddler, “If it’s quiet, chances are he’s eating your baseboards or chewing on a cord,” she joked.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2023
The living room has been painted, the fixtures installed, the baseboards added on.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
