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shiplap

American  
[ship-lap] / ˈʃɪpˌlæp /

noun

Carpentry.
  1. an overlapping joint, as a rabbet, between two boards joined edge to edge.

  2. boarding joined with such overlapping joints.


Etymology

Origin of shiplap

First recorded in 1850–55; ship 1 + lap 2

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:

The back wall of the living room was lined with baby blue shiplap that Adams couldn’t stand.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 4, 2026

For instance, Petersen used high school bleachers from the 1950s to create wood shiplap on the ceiling of a powder room.

From Seattle Times Nov. 17, 2023

Discovery, and the shiplap is on the wall.

From The Verge Aug. 4, 2022

The world domination of Joanna Gaines, the queen of shiplap, continued.

From New York Times Mar. 2, 2021

I used to help her cross her fingers like shiplap.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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