fretboard

noun

fret·​board ˈfret-ˌbȯrd 

plural fretboards

: the part of a stringed instrument against which the fingers press the strings to vary the pitch : fingerboard

especially : one that has frets (see fret entry 5)

Her three-ply maple neck, black laminated spruce and maple body, pearl inlaid ebony fretboard, and gold-plated … pickups flash in the spotlights.

—Mike Sager

Examples of fretboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet, most of the attention goes to the twin towers of vocal delight and fretboard frenzy — Metzger and Hamilton. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026

His fretboard-wandering fingers struggled to find their way home. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026

That's the distance between the string to the fretboard – a lower action requires less effort to play and is suitable for blazing fast shredding, while some rhythm players prefer a higher action setup for greater clarity. — New Atlas, 18 May 2026

From tales of heartache told with a few twangy chords to dancehall tunes backed by a flat-pickin’ lick, chapters of country music history have been written by players gripping the fretboard of a Telecaster. — Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

fret entry 5 + board entry 1

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fretboard

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword