parquet

American  

[pahr-kay] / pɑrˈkeɪ /

noun

1. a floor composed of short strips or blocks of wood forming a pattern, sometimes with inlays of other woods or other materials.

2. the part of the main floor of a theater, opera house, etc., that is between the musicians' area and the parterre or rear division or, especially in the U.S., the entire floor space for spectators.

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verb (used with object)

parqueted, parqueting

1. to construct (a floor) of parquetry.

parquet British  

/ ˈpɑːkeɪ, -kɪ /

noun

1. a floor covering of pieces of hardwood fitted in a decorative pattern; parquetry

2. Also called: parquet floor. a floor so covered

3. the stalls of a theatre

4. the main part of the Paris Bourse, where officially listed securities are traded Compare coulisse

5. (in France) the department of government responsible for the prosecution of crimes

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verb

1. to cover (a floor) with parquet

Etymology

Origin of parquet

1670–80; < French, diminutive of parc park; see -et

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Explanation

It must take a very long time to create a parquet floor. This type of woodwork includes many small, intricate pieces laid out in a geometrical pattern, almost like a mosaic. Parquet is a French word that rhymes with tray. In fact, this type of woodwork originated in France and seems to have first been used on the floors at the Palace of Versailles. It is decorative in nature and can be used for flooring and also for furniture, such as tabletops. Sometimes parquet is also used to describe the main seating area in a theater — closest to the orchestra, or stage.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

parquet parqueted

It mixes images of parquet floors; spindly, naked trees; and Sol LeWitt-style stripes in a geometric composition that juxtaposes inside and out, black and white, relaxation and activity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Built in 2008, it features parquet de Versailles flooring, 18th-century French Louis XV–carved stone fireplaces, and hand-carved marble bathtubs.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 5, 2026

The Lakers did, winning Game 6 on Boston’s famed parquet floor to become NBA champions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2024

Whatever the reasons, the local chapter of the Danish Brotherhood constructed a big, sturdy, multiuse building with handsome parapets outside and handsomer parquet flooring inside.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

Chimes rang* and then I heard faint and irregular footsteps tapping on a parquet floor, coming toward the door.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Seepage has rotted away the wooden beams supporting the parqueted floors, loosened the gold and plaster ceilings which are nailed precariously to deteriorating laths.

From Time Magazine Archive

Only the embrace of Jack's good left arm kept Mrs. De Peyster from subsiding into a jellied heap upon her parqueted floor.

From No. 13 Washington Square by Leroy Scott

A lady who is to tread a velvet carpet or a parqueted floor does not need a wooden shoe; she needs a satin slipper or boot.

From Manners and Social Usages by Mrs. John M. E. W. Sherwood

The parqueted floor was partially covered with skins, and the furniture seemed to have known many a generation; some of it was heavy and cumbersome, some of it was modern.

From Vain Fortune by George (George Augustus) Moore

There was in the hall a shining floor painted and parqueted, there were Viennese chairs, a piano, a violin stand; there was a smell of paint.

From The Schoolmaster by Constance Garnett

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Related Words

• carpet
• carpeting
• linoleum
• tile
• woodwork

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