Baseboards

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of trim along the bottom of walls designed to cover joint spaces between the wall and floor while also providing a decorative touch
2. Strips of material placed at the base of walls that serve to protect the wall from damage and enhance the overall aesthetic of a room
3. Wooden or composite boards installed at the floor level of a room, acting as a barrier while adding a finishing detail to interior spaces

Etymology: "Base" reached English through Old French from Latin "basis," which the Romans had borrowed from Greek "basis," meaning a step or pedestal. That Greek noun came from "bainein," "to go" or "to step," so a thing's foundation was originally the place you stepped onto. The sense of the lowest part of a wall or column grew naturally from that. "Board" comes from Old English "bord," meaning a plank or flat piece of timber. The same word also gives the sense of a table, as in "board and lodging." The compound is straightforward: a strip of board fixed along the bottom of a wall, where it protects the plaster from scuffs and hides the join between wall and floor.

Synonyms: skirting boards, moldings, trim