wallpaper

1 of 2

noun

wall·​pa·​per ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər 

1

: decorative paper for the walls of a room

2

: the background image or set of images displayed on a computer screen

After becoming a member, the user gets to design a homepage with his or her choice of pictures, music, wallpaper, writing, and information making each page unique.

—Fahiym Ratcliffe

wallpaper

2 of 2

verb

wallpapered; wallpapering; wallpapers

transitive verb

: to provide the walls of (a room) with wallpaper

intransitive verb

: to put wallpaper on a wall

Examples of wallpaper in a Sentence

Noun

The wallpaper began to peel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While targeting the hospitality sector with the new collection, Moses said her wallpaper designs are suitable for restaurants, hospitals, office buildings and other commercial spaces. —David Moin, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

The wallpaper: The one that comes on the phone by default. —David Pierce, The Verge, 3 Nov. 2024

Verb

The drawing room had been wallpapered with pictures of huntsmen, onto whose faces the two eldest boys, Jacob and Wilhelm (born in 1785 and 1786, respectively), would cheekily pencil in beards. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Your grid can be crafted from wood, drywall, or metal, and the ceiling panels can be painted or wallpapered. —Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

wallpaper

noun

wall·​pa·​per

ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər

: decorative paper for covering the walls of a room

wallpaper verb