wainscot

(wānskät′, -skət)

noun

  1. a wood lining or paneling on the walls of a room; sometimes, specif., such a paneling on the lower part of the walls only
    1. the lower part of the walls of a room when having a finish different from the upper
    2. any applied finish, as tile, linoleum, etc., on a wall
  2. Brit. a fine imported oak used for interior paneling

Origin: ME waynescote < MDu wagenschot, wainscot, as if < wagen (see wain), but prob. < base akin to OS weg, OE wag, wall, orig. woven work (< IE base *wei- > withe) + schot, a board, pale, prob. < or akin to Frank *skot-, a sprout: for IE base see shoot

transitive verb wainscoted or wainscotted, wainscoting or wainscotting

to line (a wall, etc.) with wainscoting

See wainscot in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. A facing or paneling, usually of wood, applied to the walls of a room.
  2. The lower part of an interior wall when finished in a material different from that of the upper part.
transitive verb wain·scot·ed or wain·scot·ted, wain·scot·ing or wain·scot·ting, wain·scots
To line or panel (a room or wall) with wainscoting.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Middle Dutch waghenscot

Origin: : perhaps waghen, wagen, wagon (from the quality of wood used for carriagework); see Wagon 

Origin: + scot, partition; see skeud- in Indo-European roots

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