What does splashboard mean?
A splashboard is a protective board or panel fitted behind a sink, washbasin, or similar fixture. Its purpose is to stop water from splashing onto the wall, which can cause dampness, staining, or damage to paint and wallpaper. The term is especially associated with British and Canadian English, where splashback is also widely used; splashboard is an alternative spelling. A splashboard may be made from tile, plastic, laminate, metal, or another water-resistant material. Although the name is most immediately associated with kitchen sinks, the same basic fitting can be used behind utility sinks, laboratory basins, and washrooms. The word is practical and concrete: it identifies a specific household component whose main function is to contain stray water and make cleaning easier. In modern interiors, splashboard or splashback may also refer more broadly to the finished tiled or otherwise covered wall surface behind a fixture.
nounA board or panel fitted behind a sink or basin to protect the wall from water. It is also called a splashback.
- A board or panel installed behind a sink or basin to prevent water from wetting the wall.
"She wiped the splashboard behind the kitchen sink after rinsing the dishes."
"The plumber fitted a tiled splashboard behind the utility sink."
"Water dripped down the splashboard onto the newly painted cabinet."
The plural is formed by adding -s and is used for individual boards or panels.
"The old splashboardboards were removed before the kitchen was redecorated."
A splashboard turns an inevitable splash into a job for the sponge.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does splashboard come from?
The word is a compound of splash and board, reflecting the board's function as a barrier that stops splashes. It belongs to a group of related forms that includes splashback and the alternative spelling splashboard, all denoting protective material fitted behind a sink.
How splashboard is actually used
The term is chiefly used in British and Canadian English. Splashback is also common, and some dictionaries treat splashboard as an alternative spelling.
Easily confused with splashboard
Splashboard is an alternative spelling of splashboard; both names refer to the protective panel behind a sink.