wainscot
pronunciation
How to pronounce wainscot in British English:
UK [ˈweɪnskət]
How to pronounce wainscot in American English:
US ['weɪnskət]
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- Noun:
- panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from the rest
- wooden panel used to line the walls of a room
Word Origin
- wainscot
- wainscot: [14] Wainscot was borrowed from Middle Low German wagenschot. It is not altogether clear what the origins of this were, but the generally accepted theory is that it is a compound of wagen ‘waggon’ and schot ‘planks, boards’, and that it therefore originally meant ‘planks used for making waggons’. To begin with it was applied in English to ‘highgrade oak imported from Russia, Germany, and Holland’. Such wood was used mainly for panelling rooms, and by the 16th century wainscot had come to signify ‘wood panelling’.=> waggon, wain
- wainscot (n.)
- mid-14c., "imported oak of superior quality" (well-grained and without knots), probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Flemish waghenscote "superior quality oak wood, board used for paneling" (though neither of these is attested as early as the English word), related to Middle Low German wagenschot (late 14c.), from waghen (see wagon) + scote "partition, crossbar." So called perhaps because the wood originally was used for wagon building and coachwork, but the sense evolution is not entirely clear. Meaning "panels lining the walls of rooms" is recorded from 1540s. Wainscoting is from 1570s.
Example
- 1. He staggered , and supported himself against the wainscot .
- 2. Put your hand behind the wainscot .
- 3. Facing the setback , pleasesplit open thecalm smiling face , stiff strong wainscot !
- 4. Certainly there were odd little jaggeddoorwaysin the wainscot , and things disappeared at night -- especially cheese and bacon .