dado.

1. The lower part of a wall set apart by a different finish, paneling, or decoration.

2. The middle block or body of a pedestal between its base and upper cap.

3. A groove cut across the grain of wood to receive another piece.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• painted dado
• tiled dado

On the page

A painted dado ran beneath the pale plaster.

Tiles covered the dado beside the stair.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture. Forms: Singular dado; plural dados or dadoes. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.