A board or panel placed over a fireplace opening when the fireplace is not in use, to cover the chimney opening.
Compound of 'fire' and 'board.' Emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries as a practical solution for blocking unused fireplaces.
Before modern heating, homeowners used fireboards as both a practical draft-preventer and a canvas for decoration—they'd paint scenes, landscapes, or family crests on these panels, turning a boring utility into home art.
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