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noun

dado

DAY-doh

Dado (noun) means the lower part of an interior wall when it is decorated or finished differently from the wall above. Example: “The hallway had a dark wood dado below a pale, plastered upper wall.”

noun
1
The lower part of an interior wall when it is decorated or finished differently from the wall above.
"The hallway had a dark wood dado below a pale, plastered upper wall."
2
A rectangular groove cut across a piece of wood to hold another piece in a joint.
"The carpenter cut a dado into the shelf side to hold the back panel."

How to use dado

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a decorative lower section of a wall, or (in carpentry) a slot cut into wood to join pieces together.

Common pairings
dado rail cut a dado

Word forms

dadoed past tense, dados plural, dadoes plural, Dados plural, dadoes singular

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The hallway had a dark wood _____ below a pale, plastered upper wall.

Etymology

From Italian dado, first recorded in English in the 1660s.

Origin: Italian · First attested 1660

Class of 1660 dado joined the language around 1660.
See the full Class of 1660 →

Related words

Rhymes for dado

See all rhymes for dado →

Frequently asked questions

What does “dado” mean?

The word “dado” means the lower part of an interior wall when it is decorated or finished differently from the wall above. In plain terms, either a decorative lower section of a wall, or (in carpentry) a slot cut into wood to join pieces together.

How do you pronounce “dado”?

“Dado” is pronounced DAY-doh (/ˈdeɪdoʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “dado” in a sentence?

Here is “dado” used in a sentence: “The hallway had a dark wood dado below a pale, plastered upper wall.”

What part of speech is “dado”?

“Dado” is a noun.

Where does the word “dado” come from?

The word “dado” dates back to around 1660 and comes from Italian. From Italian dado, first recorded in English in the 1660s.

How many meanings does “dado” have?

“Dado” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the lower part of an interior wall when it is decorated or finished differently from the wall above.

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