Backsplash

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbækˌsplæʃ/

Definitions

1. A wall covering positioned behind sinks and cooking surfaces to protect against water, heat, and stains while also acting as a decorative element
2. This home feature is located behind the sink or stove, designed to shield against spills and splatters while enhancing aesthetics
3. A protective wall panel situated behind kitchen fixtures that serves both to guard against moisture and heat damage and to add visual appeal to the space

Etymology: "Backsplash" is a plain compound: "back" joined to "splash," with no hidden foreign ancestry. The first half descends from Old English "bæc," the word for the rear part of something, which traces back through Proto-Germanic to a very old root. The second half, "splash," is the more lively of the two, imitating the sound of liquid striking a surface, and it has been used in English for centuries to describe spattering water or mud. Put together, the sense is literal: a surface at the back of a sink or stove that catches whatever splashes forward. The panel's protective job is the whole point of the name, and its decorative role came later, once the wall behind the stove became something people wanted to show off as well as keep clean.

Synonyms: splashback