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 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

Yet few outside Tryon have known that the white clapboard structure, which had fallen into disrepair, was once her family home. —Carly Olson, Architectural Digest, 17 Nov. 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