Etymology
Origin of paneling
Explanation
The collective panels used to decorate or cover a wall are called paneling. If you have really dark wood paneling in your house, you can try to lighten it up with paint, but use a primer first because the dark stain tends to show through paint. Although paneling usually refers to wood covering on a wall, the word paneling is derived from panel, which originally referred to cloth. Panel is an Old French word meaning a piece of cloth, and that word is from the Latin word pannus, which has the same meaning. Today, there are many different types of wood paneling, including board and batten, bead board, tongue and groove, and flat or raised panels.
Vocabulary lists containing paneling
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"Firegirl" by Tony Abbott, Chapters 1–6
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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.
Large solar developments can transform hundreds, or even thousands, of acres of rural land, paneling them with crystalline silicon and tempered glass.
From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026
Working together, the couple removed the shag carpeting and wood paneling from the first floor and the stairway, installing drywall in their place.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
From the outside, the home is as charming as can be as it boasts a stone pathway and olive green paneling.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026
"Over time, it grew. We've seen really strong growth through the years," Ara Khanikian, who supervises visual effects at Rodeo FX, told AFP at the studio's current home, a modern office with elegant wood paneling.
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
The dark wood paneling, sparkling chandeliers, and patterned carpets were as luxurious as one would find in any fine house, but there was a subtle, masculine difference in the feeling of the place.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
