ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wallpaper

n. · v.
US //ˈwɔɫˌpeɪpɝ// UK //wˈɔːlpeɪpɐ// wall·pa·per
  1. 1 wall covering (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    decorative paper used to cover the inside walls of a room.

    decorative paper-like material applied to the interior walls of buildings for aesthetic purposes.

    Example

    They spent the whole weekend putting up new wallpaper in the baby's room.

    Example

    The interior designer recommended a textured wallpaper to add depth to the room without overwhelming the minimalist furniture.
    • wall covering
  2. 2 computer background (n.)
    A2 Elementary Computing

    the image or pattern you see on your computer or phone screen.

    a digital image or pattern used as the background of a graphical user interface on a computer or mobile device.

    Example

    I changed my phone wallpaper to a photo of my dog.

    Example

    The operating system allows users to set a rotating gallery of high-resolution images as their desktop wallpaper.
    • desktop background
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  1. 3 background filler (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    something that is always there in the background but you don't really notice it.

    anything that serves as a background or part of the surroundings, often perceived as unremarkable or repetitive.

    Example

    The music in the shopping mall was just boring wallpaper.

    Example

    The politician's speech was little more than rhetorical wallpaper, designed to fill time without making any concrete promises.
  2. 4 generic news footage (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Technical

    simple video of a building or place used behind a news report.

    generic footage of a location used as a visual background for a related news broadcast.

    Example

    The news used some wallpaper of the hospital while the reporter talked about the new law.

    Example

    The editor inserted some generic wallpaper of the city skyline to cover the jump cut in the interview.
    • stock footage
    • b roll
  3. 5 to apply wall paper (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to put wallpaper onto a wall.

    to cover a surface, typically an interior wall, with decorative paper.

    Example

    It is much harder to wallpaper a ceiling than a wall.

    Example

    After stripping the old paint, they decided to wallpaper the hallway to hide the imperfections in the plaster.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the room or wall.
Origin

From wall + paper.

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