parquet

American  

[pahr-key] / 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

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

Beds are surrounded by animal-print seating, parquet oak flooring, marble tables, mirrored cabinets and custom wallpaper.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 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 Celtics didn’t mess around after dropping Game 2 on their home parquet floor by 24 on Thursday.

From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2024

Settled down on the polished parquet flooring, no doubt cross-legged, they were part of something that would shape the learning landscape forever.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024

Still, they would be impressed, he hoped, by the lovely bay windows, the shining parquet floors, the impressive winding staircase, the wooden wainscoting, as they sipped champagne and dipped samosas in chutney.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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

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 Garnett, Constance

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 Sherwood, Mrs. John M. E. W.

But when he came to the mainmast, he was even more astonished to find himself walking on a parqueted floor, partly covered by a strip of carpet of a small blue and white checked pattern.

From In Midsummer Days, and Other Tales by Strindberg, August

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 Scott, Leroy

Related Words

• carpet
• carpeting
• linoleum
• tile
• woodwork