dado

 
Pronunciation: /ˈdeɪdəʊ/

noun (plural dados)

  • 1the lower part of the wall of a room, below about waist height, when decorated differently from the upper part.
  • short for dado rail. dados were fixed to the wall to protect the plaster
  • 2North American a groove cut in the face of a board, into which the edge of another board is fixed: [as modifier]: a dado joint
  • 3 Architecture the part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice.

Origin:

mid 17th century (denoting the main part of a pedestal, above the base): from Italian, literally 'dice or cube', from Latin datum 'something given, starting point' (see datum)