wallpaper

The word “wallpaper” means decorative paper or paper-like material used to cover interior walls. In plain terms, patterned paper stuck to walls for decoration — or, on a computer, the background image on your screen.

Here is “wallpaper” used in a sentence: “They chose a floral wallpaper for the guest bedroom.”

Words with a similar meaning to “wallpaper” include desktop pattern and background.

Depending on how it is used, “wallpaper” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “wallpaper” dates back to around 1800. A straightforward compound of wall and paper, dating from the 1800s when patterned paper became a common way to decorate room walls.

“Wallpaper” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Wallpaper” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: decorative paper or paper-like material used to cover interior walls.

Wallpaper is a decorative paper or paper-like material applied to cover interior walls, often with printed patterns or textures, while paint is a liquid coating applied directly to the wall surface. Wallpaper can achieve more elaborate patterns and textures than paint typically allows, but it is generally harder to remove or change.

Wallpaper is the static image or pattern used as the background of a computer or phone screen, visible behind icons and apps. A screensaver, by contrast, is a moving image or animation that only appears after a period of inactivity, traditionally used to prevent screen burn-in.

Yes, to wallpaper means to cover a wall or room with wallpaper, as in "they wallpapered the bedroom last weekend." It can also be used figuratively to describe covering something extensively, such as a website using an image to fill its entire background.