wallpaper

noun wall·pa·per \ ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər \

Updated on: 13 Oct 2017

Definition of wallpaper

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

See wallpaper defined for English-language learners

See wallpaper defined for kids

Examples of wallpaper in a Sentence

The wallpaper began to peel.

Recent Examples of wallpaper from the Web

At 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump picked out the new wallpaper in the Oval Office.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "A winged West Wing: Eagles take flight in White House makeover," 25 Aug. 2017
Both the wallpaper and the silk have touches of coral in them.

— m. k. quinlan, House Beautiful, "This Bold Vacation Home Will Make You Want to Hit the Flea Market," 23 Aug. 2017
This may be the first time in White House history that a White House official has gone on background to discuss something as mundane as a wallpaper refresh.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Trump Official Praises Oval Office Makeover, Blames Obama for Wallpaper Stains," 23 Aug. 2017
This one is behind Bardonna, where the palm frond wallpaper inside also makes a great backdrop for snaps.

— chloe lew, Los Angeles Magazine, "Where to Find L.A.’s Most Instagrammed Walls IRL," 17 Aug. 2017
Also, the house had been modernized in the 1950 and '60s with items that lost their charm over time, such as wood paneling, wallpaper, ceiling tiles, vinyl flooring and carpeting.

— mary colurso, AL.com, "Cool Spaces: Century-old farmhouse gleams after loving family restoration," 9 Aug. 2017
A big, bowed sitting window overlooks the south portico’s vista and the room is decorated with a series of 18th century Chinese wallpaper panels from the collection of the Prince of Hanover at Schloss Marienburg.

— by brian melton, star-telegram, "Mind Your Manor: Ireland’s Ballyfin showcases 19th century country estate chic," 2 Aug. 2017
These days, colorful tiles, bold wallpaper, and the occasional (ironic?) taxidermy piece can all trace their origins to our need to capture and broadcast our well-curated pleasures.

— ben huberman, Longreads, "To Be an Instagram-Ready Restaurant, Don’t Forget Your Selfie-Optimized Lamps," 27 July 2017
Brick wallpaper and metal pipe bookcases give his room an industrial feel while gray curtains trimmed with basketball orange and an animal hide rug give the room a unique style.

— madeleine winer, The Courier-Journal, "Coastal meets Southern rustic in this elegant Goshen estate," 20 July 2017

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.

First Known Use of wallpaper

1827

wallpaper

verb

Definition of wallpaper

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

:to put wallpaper on a wall

See wallpaper defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of wallpaper from the Web

No brick under your plaster? Wallpaper companies like NewWall and Woodchip & Magnolia have developed realistic-looking brick and stone patterns—a fun and easy way to try out the trend!

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "The Surprising Way You're Ruining Your Exposed Brick Walls," 29 June 2017
Henry had wallpapered it with pages from the Wall Street Journal.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "He built a big airport terminal in the middle of 9/11. ‘Gentleman’ architect dies at 77," 6 June 2017
An entire gallery at the MoCP is wallpapered with 16,276 images shot on his smartphone throughout these travels.

— lori waxman, chicagotribune.com, "Ai Weiwei, the new hero of selfie culture," 24 May 2017
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
Dated billboards Los Angeles is wallpapered with billboards—another production detail that would have immediately dated the film.

— vanityfair.com, "The Clever Tricks That Made La La Land Look Technicolor and Timeless," 16 Feb. 2017
Dated billboards Los Angeles is wallpapered with billboards—another production detail that would have immediately dated the film.

— julie miller, HWD, "The Clever Tricks That Made La La Land Look Technicolor and Timeless," 16 Feb. 2017
Several of the rooms, including the kitchen, are wallpapered.

— mike powell, New York Times, "$2,800,000 Homes in California, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.," 9 Nov. 2016

First Known Use of wallpaper

1918

Financial Definition of WALLPAPER

wallpaper

noun

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