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

For right now, this Mojave desert image is the only available dynamic wallpaper. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "macOS Mojave: A visual tour of Dark Mode and other major features," 26 June 2018 Kedzie intended the book as a warning to those tempted to purchase the wallpaper, which was more richly and subtly pigmented than earlier designs. — Erin Blakemore, Washington Post, "The strange history of poisonous wallpaper and a dangerous book," 19 May 2018 This year the legendary luxury brand showcased a new collection of furniture, tabletop, textiles, and wallpaper in a space within the Museo della Permanente. — Natalie Shirinian, Vogue, "9 of the Most Mesmerizing Installations at Salone del Mobile 2018," 23 Apr. 2018 In Ariel’s bedroom, the headboard and wallpaper are in a Pierre Frey pattern, the pillow is in a Bennison fabric, and the side table is from the Antique and Artisan Gallery. — ELLE Decor, "Sisters Ariel Ashe and Alexi Ashe Meyers Go in on a Country Home—With Seth Meyers And Wee Babes In Tow," 16 Apr. 2018 Behind a glass cabinet, the original wallpaper, depicting a shepherd, a lamb and a cross, is another idiosyncratic element. — Laura Mauk, San Francisco Chronicle, "Pattern and color come out to play at designer’s midcentury Oakland home," 13 Apr. 2018 Or maybe Schwedel’s belief is informed by the same mercurial zeitgeist that determines when shoulder pads are out of fashion and wallpaper is hip again. — Diane Stopyra, Marie Claire, "So I Married a Much Older Man," 19 Dec. 2017 This included shirts, wigs, hats, instruments, board games, ice cream bars, wallpaper, bed sheets and pillowcases. — John Harrington And Charles Stockdale, USA TODAY, "50 fascinating facts you may not know about The Beatles," 10 July 2018 The do-over – in addition to upgrading infrastructure and installing new but period-accurate wallpaper, carpeting and paint – has changed the look of several rooms in a way that may cause veteran visitors to do a double-take. — Susan Dunne, courant.com, "Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Gets A Contemporary Makeover," 17 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 An archway in the dining room is wallpapered in Lions season tickets. — John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Father, son bond writing U.P. bars book and it becomes a cult classic," 10 June 2018 Today is a bright spot for the fans still wallpapering the internet with GIFs of Firefly, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and all other genre shows cancelled but not forgotten. — Emma Grey Ellis, WIRED, "What Brought Sense8 Back—and What Killed It in the First Place," 8 June 2018 Full of energy, Connie painted and wallpapered and redecorated houses all while being a wonderful and attentive mother to three children who came in rapid succession. — Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 6/6," 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.

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Last Updated

6 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for wallpaper

The first known use of wallpaper was in 1827

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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