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

With its clapboard accents and wooden countertops, this kitchen is quintessential Martha’s Vineyard. —Madeleine Luckel, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2024

Momentary pictures emerge from the crackling cloud and then sink back — a girl walking, a simple clapboard building, a hand holding a teacup, a car careening over a steep embankment and more. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024

Diners hungry for a Danish pancake dinner lined up outside the white clapboard building before its doors even opened. —Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 10 July 2024

That's thanks to its amusement park, clapboard bungalows, and grand boardwalk resorts, all once frequented by the Vanderbilts and Astors. —Kate Donnelly, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Dutch klaphout stave wood

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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