DADO

n.

In Classical architecture , the plain portion of the pedestal of a column, between the base and the cornice (or cap).

In later architecture, a dado is a wall's paneled or decorated lower part, up to 2–3 ft (60–90 cm) above the floor and defined by a horizontal molding. Interior walls were so treated especially in the 16th–18th century. In carpentry, a dado is a rectangular groove cut across the grain of a wood member.