clapboard

noun

clap·​board ˈkla-bərd  ˈkla(p)-ˌbȯrd 

1

archaic : a size of board for making staves and wainscoting

2

: a narrow board usually thicker at one edge than the other used for siding

3

ˈklap-ˌbȯrd  : a pair of hinged boards one of which has a slate with data identifying a piece of film and which are banged together in front of a motion-picture camera at the start of a take to facilitate editing

called also clapper board

clapboard transitive verb

Examples of clapboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stores are set inside quaint-looking houses with porticoes and pastel-colored clapboard sidings. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

The clapboard houses, lightship baskets, and roses climbing up the side of Sconset roofs inspired a sense of permanence. —William D. Cohan, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025

Eureka Springs, Arkansas The entire downtown of Eureka Springs is part of the National Register of Historic Places: Admire the preserved Victorian architecture and make special note of Hatchet Hall, the former clapboard home of hatchet-wielding temperance movement leader Carry A. Nation. —Ashlea Halpern, AFAR Media, 1 Aug. 2025

One of the birthplaces of fat tire mountain biking, Crested Butte’s adventure cred is bolstered by the wild west vibes of the clapboard storefronts and high-ceilinged saloons of its 19th-century mining heyday. —Melanie Haiken, Outside Online, 23 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Dutch klaphout stave wood

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clapboard

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword

Kids Definition

clapboard

noun

clap·​board ˈklab-ərd  ˈkla(p)-ˌbō(ə)rd 

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

: a narrow board thicker at one edge than at the other used to cover the sides of wooden buildings

clapboard verb