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 slate with information identifying a piece of film that is topped with a hinged arm which claps down to mark the start of a take (see take entry 2 sense 2a(1)) to facilitate editing

called also clapper board

clapboard transitive verb

Examples of clapboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The journey from the gates of Parchman to Unit 29 takes the traveler past a mixture of modest brick and white clapboard houses, all of which once housed prison officials and employees. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026

The rolling prairie outside the single-story clapboard home is where Lonny learned from their grandfather how to break horses. —Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 8 Jan. 2026

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park offers lighthouse views, a beach that harkens back to a pre-European version of Florida, and a waterfront trail that looks out over the clapboard homes in Stiltsville. —Eric Barton, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026

Creative window displays and clapboard signs will draw you into local shops and boutiques that sell everything from apparel and accessories to home décor. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 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