Showing results for "wainscoting"

• present participle of wainscot.

wainscoting

American  

[weyn-skoh-ting, -skot-ing, -skuh-ting] / ˈweɪn skoʊ tɪŋ, -skɒt ɪŋ, -skə tɪŋ /

especially British, wainscotting

noun

1. paneling or woodwork with which rooms, hallways, etc., are wainscoted.

2. wainscots collectively.

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Etymology

Origin of wainscoting

First recorded in 1570–80; wainscot + -ing ¹

Explanation

Wainscoting is the style of indoor wall covering that's made of wooden boards. It's not uncommon for rooms to have wainscoting on the lower half of their walls. Before the 18th century, wainscoting frequently covered the entire surface of a wall, paneling a dining room or library from floor to ceiling. Newer houses are more likely to have wainscoting only on the bottom part of a wall, if at all. The wall-covering material itself can also be called wainscoting or wainscot. The original wainscoting was made of oak, but softer wood is more common today.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wainscoting

Other impressive features found in the space included original teak plank flooring, an original marble staircase, and original picture moldings and wainscoting.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026

Inside, chocolate brown wood is everywhere: walls, beams, window sills, paneling, wainscoting, furniture, not to mention built-in cabinets, benches and window seats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025

An elegant wainscoting of polished carbon fiber stretches across the four doors, accented with aluminum bezels and wire-thin LED lighting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

And instead of recessed wall niches, she added shallow, surface-mounted bookshelves over the room’s wainscoting and wallpaper.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

The long hallway had narrow wainscoting halfway up to the high ceiling.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago