dado

noun da·do \ ˈdā-(ˌ)dō \

|Updated on: 27 Jul 2018

Definition of dado

plural dadoes

1 a : the part of a pedestal of a column above the base

b : the lower part of an interior wall when specially decorated or faced; also : the decoration adorning this part of a wall

2 : a rectangular groove cut to make a joint in woodworking; specifically : one cut across the grain

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Recent Examples of dado from the Web

Clean up the bottom of each dado with a 1/4-inch chisel.

— roy berendson, Popular Mechanics, "6 Simple Projects You Can Make From Scrap Wood," 21 Mar. 2018
Cut the notches with a dado blade in the table saw, or lay out each notch and use a jigsaw to remove the waste.

— rick peters, Popular Mechanics, "How to Build a Pergola Right in Your Backyard," 1 May 2016
Amo Venezuela, tierra que me ha dado verdaderos hermanos de corazón.

— patricia mazzei, miamiherald, "‘Despacito’ artists to Maduro: Stop using our song for political propaganda," 24 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dado.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of dado

Origin and Etymology of dado

Italian, die, plinth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1664

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

dado

verb

Definition of dado

dadoed; dadoing

transitive verb

1 : to provide with a dado

2 a : to set into a groove

b : to cut a dado in (something, such as a plank)

Recent Examples of dado from the Web

Photo: dado ruvic/Reuters That happened shortly after Italy’s new populist government spooked investors with plans to allow more government spending, which could trigger a clash with other governments, notably Germany’s.

— daniel kruger, WSJ, "Dollar Lower on Weak U.S. Data, Stronger Euro," 6 June 2018
Photo: dado ruvic/Reuters In March, Mastercard joined with International Business Machines Corp. IBM -0.30% to set up an external trust that will hold and anonymize the data, so Mastercard has no ability to reidentify individuals from it.

— natalia drozdiak, WSJ, "From Restaurants to Insurers, the Race to Comply With New GDPR Privacy Rules," 24 May 2018