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

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

On the first floor, the front parlor, with its wooden wainscoting and classical door frames, is more elegant after conservation restored small details in the decorative moldings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

In his own bathroom, Nickey limited himself to papering the top part of the wall, above the tiled wainscoting.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

In one arresting work, attic wainscoting is a series of vertical black rectangles lined up one after the next against grayed ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2023

Winston whined and grizzled, made futile demands for food, fretted about the room, pulling everything out of place and kicking the wainscoting until the neighbors banged on the wall, while the younger child wailed intermittently.

From "1984" by George Orwell