board

1 of 2

noun

ˈbȯrd 

plural boards

1

: a piece of sawed lumber of little thickness and a length greatly exceeding its width

nailed boards over the windows

2

a

: a surface, frame, or device for posting notices

Pin the photo to the board.

b

: blackboard

wrote the assignment on the board

c

: a flat usually rectangular piece of material (such as wood) designed for a special purpose: such as

(1)

: cutting board

also : a selection of finger foods (such as sliced cheese, bread, raw vegetables, and prepared meats) served on such a board

a meat and cheese board

Customers can create delicious charcuterie boards by choosing treats from the array of antipasti and trimmings, including olives, artisan crackers, and fruit.

—Carina Stathis

(2)

: surfboard

(3)

: skateboard

… Tony Hawk has just legitimized the youthful rebellion they'd abandoned along with their boards.

—Sean Pamphilon

(4)

: springboard sense 1

Do a backflip off the board.

(5)

boards plural : skis

a new pair of boards

d

basketball : backboard sense 1

a rebound off the boards

also : a rebound in basketball

averaging 7.8 boards per game

e

: switchboard

3

a(1)

: a group of persons having managerial, supervisory, investigatory, or advisory powers

She is on the bank's board of directors.

board of examiners

a board member

(2)

: an examination given by an examining board

—often used in plural

pass the medical boards

b

: league, association

local board of realtors

c

: daily meals especially when furnished for pay

paid for her room and board

d

: a table spread with a meal

offered to help clear the board

e

: a table at which a council or magistrates sit

sat at the council board

f card games

(1)

: the exposed hands of all the players in a stud poker (see stud entry 1 sense 5) game

(2)

: an exposed dummy (see dummy entry 1 sense 2a) hand in bridge

g

archaic : table sense 1a

4

electronics : a sheet of insulating material carrying circuit elements and terminals so that it can be inserted in an electronic apparatus (such as a computer)

5

boards plural, ice hockey : the low wall enclosing a hockey rink

6

computers : message board sense 2

Add a link to the board.

7

a

: cardboard

b

: the stiff foundation piece for the side of a book cover

8

nautical : the side of a ship

9

boards plural, theater : stage sense 2a(2)

one of the best actors that ever trod the boards

10

finance : a securities or commodities exchange (see exchange entry 1 sense 5a)

11

obsolete : border, edge

boardlike

ˈbȯrd-ˌlīk 

adjective

board

2 of 2

verb

boarded; boarding; boards

transitive verb

1

a

: to go aboard (something, such as a ship, train, airplane, or bus)

boarded a bus to Chicago

b

: to put aboard

an airliner boarding passengers

2

: to cover or seal off with a long, thin, and often narrow piece of sawed lumber : to cover or seal off with boards (see board entry 1 sense 1)

—usually used with up

board up a window

board up a house

3

: to provide with regular meals and often also lodging usually for compensation

supplemented her income by boarding college students

4

ice hockey : to check (a player) into the low wooden wall enclosing a hockey rink : to check (a player) into the boards (see board entry 1 sense 5)

5

archaic : to come up against or alongside (a ship) usually to attack

6

archaic : accost, address

boarded me with some light remark

—W. A. White

intransitive verb

1

: to receive meals or lodging

bachelors who board at the inn

specifically : to live at a boarding school

2

informal : to ride a skateboard, snowboard, etc.

At 12, Danny joined his 16-year-old brother … on the slopes, boarding every day after school.

—Scott DeSimon

3

a

: to get into or onto a means of transportation (such as an airplane, bus, ship, etc.)

A bit late, we hurried to the gate just in time to board.

—Ellen Creager

b

: to put or allow passengers into or onto such a means of transportation

… before my plane boarded I wandered into a duty-free shop to pick up a few last-minute presents.

—Ted Mooney

Phrases

across the board

: so as to include or affect all classes or categories

cut spending across the board

also : in all areas or respects

considered an average player across the board

on board

1

: aboard

2

: in support of a particular objective

needed to get more senators on board for the bill to pass

Synonyms

Noun

• organization
• association
• institute
• institution
• chamber
• society
• council
• fraternity
• group

Verb

• feed
• provision
• cater

Examples of board in a Sentence

Noun

They nailed some boards over the broken window.

They covered the board in fabric and pinned some photographs to it.

the board that is used to play games like chess and checkers

I saw a notice on the board calling for volunteers.

Write the answers on the board.

She is on the town's planning board.

The parole board has decided that the prisoner is not yet ready for release.

Verb

You must have a ticket in order to board the train.

The pirates tried to board the ship, but we fought them off.

We're supposed to board at 10:15.

We're now boarding all passengers.

The flight is about to begin boarding.

Passengers should remain in the boarding area.

The caretaker boarded the window.

They board guests during the summer season.

Many students board at the college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Baldwin now serves on the Johnson C. Smith board of trustees and was part of the 1969 CIAA championship team — the only one in the school’s history. —Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025

This comes as Europe’s second-largest airline brings more aircraft on board, with a higher number of seats, and longer flights. —John Choong, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Verb

So why are travelers shamed for boarding a plane when tourism is not even the main offender? —Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Lindholm says a few crew members boarded a small rescue boat that launched from the fourth deck. —Jillian Frankel, People.com, 1 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English bord piece of sawed lumber, border, ship's side, from Old English; akin to Old High German bort ship's side

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Phrases Containing board

• as stiff as a board
• bed and board
• board and lodging
• board-certified
• board foot
• board game
• board of directors
• board of trade
• board sport
• boogie board
• bread board
• bristol board
• bulletin board
• call-board
• chopping board
• circuit board
• cutting board
• diving board
• draft board
• drawing board
• dry-erase board
• emery board
• free on board
• go back to the drawing board
• go by the board
• half board
• ironing board
• message board
• mood board
• notice board
• off the drawing board
• on the drawing board
• room and board
• running board
• sandwich board
• school board
• shoulder board
• sound board
• sounding board
• sweep the board
• take (something) on board
• tote board

Rhymes for board

• bored
• chord
• cord
• corde
• cored
• fjord
• floored
• gored
• gourd
• hoard
• horde
• lord

Kids Definition

board

1 of 2 noun

ˈbō(ə)rd 

ˈbȯ(ə)rd

1

: the side of a ship

2

a

: a long thin flat piece of lumber

b

plural : stage entry 1 sense 2b

trod the boards for 40 years

3

a

: a dining table

b

: daily meals especially when provided for pay

room and board

4

: a group of persons who manage, direct, or investigate

board of directors

board of examiners

5

a

: a flat usually rectangular piece of material designed for a special purpose

cutting board

chess board

diving board

b

: a surface, frame, or device for putting up notices

6

: a sheet of insulating material carrying circuit elements and connectors so that it can be inserted in an electronic device (as a computer)

board

2 of 2 verb

1

: to go or put aboard : get or put on

board a plane

2

: to cover with boards

board up a window

3

: to provide or be provided with regular meals and often lodging usually for pay

4

: to live at a boarding school

Medical Definition

board

noun

ˈbō(ə)rd, ˈbȯ(ə)rd 

1

: a group of persons having supervisory, managerial, investigatory, or advisory powers

medical licensing boards

a board of health

2

: an examination given by an examining board

—often used in plural

passed his medical boards

Legal Definition

board

noun

often capitalized

1

a

: a group of individuals having managerial, supervisory, investigatory, or advisory powers over a public or private business, trust, or other organization or institution

Board of Regents

Board of Bar Overseers

b

: board of directors

2

a

: a group of citizens elected to administer the business of or an aspect of the business of a political unit (as a town or county)

a board of selectmen

b

: a federal, state, or local government agency see also National Labor Relations Board

3

: a securities or commodities exchange see also board of trade