clipboard

noun

clip·​board ˈklip-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce clipboard (audio)
1
: a small writing board with a clip at the top for holding papers
2
: a section of computer memory that temporarily stores data (such as text or a graphics image) especially to facilitate its movement or duplication

Examples of clipboard in a Sentence

Copy the sentence to the clipboard and paste it in a new document.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a nearby hospital is hacked and ransomed, the higher-ups decide to defend its system by shutting it down, which means business must be conducted in the old-fashioned, paper-and-clipboards way. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 Sometimes he was dressed as a supervisor, carrying a clipboard and wearing a dress shirt and khakis. James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Synchrony offers participating health care providers an array of CareCredit marketing materials free of charge, including brochures, signage, acrylic blocks and clipboards. Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2026 For four days, prospects arrive with reputations built on Saturdays and leave with grades shaped by lasers, clipboards and closed-door interviews. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clipboard

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clipboard was in 1885

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clipboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clipboard. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

clipboard

noun
clip·​board ˈklip-ˌbō(ə)rd How to pronounce clipboard (audio)
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
1
: a small board with a clip at the top for holding papers
2
: a part of computer memory used to store data temporarily
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster