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

Grain True butcher blocks are made of end grain wood, so the fibers are exposed to provide a checkerboard design. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 June 2025

The caseback of the watch also reveals the same black hole, filled in with black ink and surrounded by a spiraling checkerboard motif. —Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

The video opens with a barrage of news and stand-up clips on anti-immigrant sentiments, followed by a checkerboard of influential immigrants to the U.S. like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2025

The checkerboard plates, paired with his marbled bowls, make for a dinner party tablescape no one can rival. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 12 Apr. 2025

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