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:
Check electric baseboard heaters, radiators and even vents from hot-air furnaces to see how hot they get.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2022
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
A maintenance worker then ripped up the baseboard to find a broken pipe covered in mushrooms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2022
He roamed through the house turning off lights and turning up the baseboard heaters.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
In the co-ed house, residents share kitchen duties, rotating bathroom assignments, and a deep-cleaning every six weeks: baseboards, rugs, stairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 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 meticulously vacuum, and scrub the walls, windows, baseboards and floors, clearing every open surface and precious possession of reminders of the Eaton fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
Tape drop cloths where they meet baseboards, Walters says.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
I also had to dust the living room baseboards and empty the dishwasher.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
