Plural of drywall; manufactured sheets of gypsum plaster sandwiched between paper layers used to create interior walls and ceilings in modern buildings.
From 'dry' (not wet) and 'wall,' coined in the early 20th century as a brand name that became generic. It contrasted with the older method of 'wet wall' construction using plaster and lath, which had to be applied and cured with moisture.
Drywall was a revolutionary invention that made construction faster and cheaper—instead of skilled plasterers spending days applying wet plaster, workers could simply nail up sheets, changing how quickly houses could be built and making homebuilding accessible to more people.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.