MEANING
Wooden boards with overlapping notched edges, used for walls or siding.
Use it for
boarded interiors; repeated horizontal lines; wood coveringsName the board-and-joint pattern rather than merely saying wood walls.
Words that belong together
- shiplap wall
- timber shiplap
- painted shiplap
On the page
White shiplap lined the converted boathouse.
The joins in the shiplap cast thin shadows along the wall.
They removed a section of shiplap to repair the wiring behind it.
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- shiplap
Usage notes
Primary category: architecture. The edge rebates let adjacent boards overlap while forming a relatively flush surface. Unlike ordinary clapboards, the distinction is the shaped edge joint rather than simple whole-board overlap; installation is often horizontal but can be vertical. Mass noun for material or covering; no ordinary plural needed.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.