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

Set the scene Gardiner House makes a good first impression; its big-windowed, white-clapboard, three-story facade set against the blues of the sky above and yacht marina behind. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026

But the main attraction—other than the competition itself—is a pop-up Hermès Sellier store, housed in a white clapboard structure in front of a palm tree. —Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026

Trading the city’s stifling summer heat for the balmy sea air and clapboard cottages of Long Island’s most picturesque tip is an enduring tradition among New Yorkers. —Sarah Wood González, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026

Its enrollment peaked at 120 and fell to about 40 students this year, spread around a few white clapboard buildings indistinguishable from the houses of the surrounding farm town of about 1,300 people. —Jon Marcus, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026

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