Dado
/ˈdeɪ.doʊ/noun
A lower section of an interior wall, or a cube-shaped block or die.
Did you know?Dado ultimately connects to Latin datum, “a thing given,” the same root behind the modern word data—turning a wall feature into a linguistic cousin of information.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“To give”
Classical Latin
Latin
dare
“To give”
Classical Latin
Latin
datum
“A thing given; something granted”
Medieval/early modern Italian
Italian
dado
“A die or cube; later, a cube-like architectural block”
17th Century
English
dado
“The lower part of a pedestal or wall, resembling a block or base”
Modern English
English
dado
“A lower wall section, or a cube-shaped block or die”