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
2. 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
3. Brit. a fine imported oak used for interior paneling

Etymology: 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 -·scot′ed or wainscotted -·scot′·ted, wainscoting -·scot′·ing or wainscotting -·scot′·ting