wallpaper

noun

wall·pa·per | \ ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər

Definition of wallpaper

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

wallpapered; wallpapering; wallpapers

Definition of wallpaper (Entry 2 of 2)

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

But for Garcia, it’s more about sensual strokes of scarlet, violet, and cobalt; wallpapers and bathtubs edged in gold; and an aviary of faux birds, from parakeets to peacocks. — Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Jacques Garcia Turned an Old Church into London's Hottest Hotel," 23 Aug. 2018 The Tropicana King Balcony Suite features punchy palm tree wallpaper and lemon-yellow chairs. — Tara Massouleh, AL.com, "How to spend 24 hours in Chattanooga, Tennessee," 25 Apr. 2018 Francois Chambard, maker of conductive wallpaper and adorable theremins, is back with a clever new line of furniture called Patch. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "This interactive furniture line runs on solar power," 24 Apr. 2018 The digs are cozily romantic, from the barrel room’s chandeliers to the speakeasy-esque tasting room’s floral wallpaper and tufted banquette. — BostonGlobe.com, "30 great dates in Boston and beyond," 22 Mar. 2018 The newest, larger pieces incorporate thread sewn into antique wallpaper and have what Wiseman called a body doesn't hang perfectly square. — Sarah Bonnette, NOLA.com, ""Intersections" explores how two artists connect to their work," 7 Mar. 2018 The backdrops are static and wallpaper-like, the animals ultra-fake—toy birds, an inflatable horse, a cutout deer—and Red Star is at the center of them all, dressed in ceremonial Crow clothing that’s as contemporary as last month’s runway offerings. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, "Wendy Red Star's New Exhibition Is Part Historical Corrective, Part Ghost Story," 2 Mar. 2019 Florals were everywhere else at the party too, from the wallpaper print and arrangements to the guests, who came wearing dresses in floral prints or embellished with appliqués. — Krystin Arneson, Glamour, "It Sure Looks Like Jessica Simpson Revealed Her Daughter's Name at Her Baby Shower," 20 Jan. 2019 Our wallpapers page has original art for free download to put on your device. — William Joel, The Verge, "2018: A year in The Verge illustrations," 29 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Walls are painted or wallpapered, plumbing and electrical fixtures like faucets and light switch covers are installed, and register covers are put in place. — Brett Martin, House Beautiful, "How Long It Takes To Renovate Every Single Room In Your House," 26 Dec. 2018 The result of the vote was announced to loud cheers from lawmakers gathered in a stuffy, ornately wallpapered room in the House of Commons. — Jill Lawless, The Seattle Times, "UK’s May wins no-confidence vote by MPs unhappy over Brexit," 12 Dec. 2018 Yes, that Freddie—Freddie Prinze Jr., the turn-of-the-century heartthrob whose Tiger Beat posters wallpapered your middle-school locker. — Colleen Leahey Mckeegan, Marie Claire, "Sarah Michelle Gellar's Second Act? Disrupting the Food Industry," 18 Apr. 2017 These simple ones can be painted or wallpapered over. — Eddie Ross, House Beautiful, "How to Choose the Best Fixtures for Your Home," 21 Feb. 2018 In the film The Aviator, Howard Hughes (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) stands in front of a bathroom wallpapered in the Martinique print. — Sarah Bray, Town & Country, "A Brief History of the Palm Print," 30 Aug. 2016 According to a wall text, Smith’s own library is wallpapered with such snakes, and rooms in Smith’s house frequently appear in his artworks. — Edith Newhall, Philly.com, "Art to see now: Keith Smith at PMA and minimalists at Larry Becker," 13 June 2018 When my mother didn’t die or disappear, when the house was still there, the sun set, the clocks seemed to keep the right time, I was relieved, only to wake fresh into a new morning wallpapered with my anxiety. — Amanda Stern, Health.com, "I Lived With Anxiety So Debilitating It Kept Me From Going Outside—Until I Finally Received a Surprising Diagnosis," 19 June 2018 Aside from screenings, panels, cocktails and the chance to hobnob with stars, Los Angeles and New York are wallpapered with billboards, streetlight banners and bus-shelter ads ahead of Monday's start of the two-week voting period for 2018 nominees. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "Zach Galifianakis serves Arby's? The insane explosion of Emmy campaigning," 6 June 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about wallpaper

Dictionary Entries near wallpaper

Statistics for wallpaper

Last Updated

24 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for wallpaper

The first known use of wallpaper was in 1827

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for wallpaper

wallpaper

noun

Financial Definition of wallpaper

What It Is

Wallpaper is slang for a security with minimal to no market value.

How It Works

Once a security becomes worthless, its hard documentation (for example, its stock certificate) no longer has any practical function. The term "wallpaper" suggests that it be used as such.

Why It Matters

Following the Internet startup bust in the early 2000s, the stock of many web-based companies turned into wallpaper in a short span of time. The term doesn't only apply to stocks. For example, the impact of hyperinflation in Germany following World War I resulted in its currency becoming wallpaper.

Source: Investing Answers

wallpaper

noun