panel

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
panel/ˈpanl/

▶noun

• 1 a distinct section, typically rectangular, forming part of or set into a door, vehicle, garment, etc.

  ■ a decorated area within a larger design containing a separate subject.

• 2 a flat board on which instruments or controls are fixed.

• 3 a small group of people brought together to investigate or decide upon a particular matter.

  ■ Brit. a list of medical practitioners registered as accepting patients under the National Health Service.

  ■ chiefly N. Amer. a list of available jurors or a jury.

• 4 Scots Law a person or people charged with a crime or offence.

▶verb (panels, panelling, panelled; US panels, paneling, paneled) (usu. as adj. panelled) cover (a wall or other surface) with panels.

– derivatives
panelling noun.

– origin ME (in sense ‘piece of parchment’, later ‘list’): from OFr., based on L. pannus ‘(piece of) cloth’.