checkerboard

noun

check·​er·​board ˈche-kər-ˌbȯrd 

1

: a board used in various games (such as checkers) with usually 64 squares in 2 alternating colors

2

: something that has a pattern or arrangement like a checkerboard

Examples of checkerboard in a Sentence

The fields formed a checkerboard of light and dark squares.

Recent Examples on the Web

French designer Patrick Jouin created a checkerboard pattern, similar to Louis Vuitton’s classic Damier motif, that instantly captures your attention. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026

This colorful Anthropologie pick thinks outside the classic checkerboard with interspersed fruit and floral motifs breaking up the uniform pattern. —Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 26 Mar. 2026

The classic checkerboard gets a romantic refresh with a wash of pastel hues and fluid, freeform swirls that soften its graphic edge. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026

The dramatic checkerboard floors beg to be used in a story of Machiavellian plotting and/or black-and-white morality. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for checkerboard

• clavichord
• fiberboard
• fibreboard
• fingerboard
• harpsichord
• motherboard
• notochord
• overboard
• overlord
• paperboard
• plasterboard
• shuffleboard

Kids Definition

checkerboard

noun

check·​er·​board -ˌbō(ə)rd 

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

: a board used in games and marked with 64 squares in two colors