a structure of boards, such as a floor or fence timber boards collectively the act of embarking on an aircraft, train, ship, etc (as modifier): a boarding pass
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
board /bɔrd/USA pronunciation
n.
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Building a long rectangular piece of wood sawed thin:[countable]Please nail a couple of boards over the hole for now.
- Building a flat piece of wood or other hard material used for a purpose:[countable]Write your sentence up on the board (= a blackboard).
- [countable] a sheet of wood, cardboard, etc., on which a game is played: a chess board.
- Building[uncountable] material made in large sheets, as plasterboard.
- an official group or committee that directs an activity:[countable]a board of directors.
- [uncountable] daily meals, esp. as provided for pay: How much is room and board in that hotel?
- Computing[countable]
- Computinga piece of fiberglass or other material upon which computer chips are mounted.
- Electronics circuit board (def. 1).
- Telecommunicationsa switchboard.
v.
- to cover or close with boards: [~ + up/over + object]boarded up the old house.[~ + object + up/over]boarded the fence over.
- to provide (someone) with meals, esp. for pay:[~ + object]The retired couple boarded several college students.
- to take one's meals and lodging at a fixed price:[~ + with/at + object]Several college students boarded with the couple.
- to go on board (of a ship, etc.): [no object]Passengers should board through the door on my left.[~ + object]Passengers were just beginning to board the ship.
- [~ + object] to allow on board: Flight 678 will board passengers.
- Idioms across the board, so as to apply to all equally:to raise salaries across the board.
- Idioms on board,
- on or in a ship, or other vehicle:a hundred passengers on board.
- SportBaseball. on base:Two men were out but two were on board.
- present and functioning as a member of a team or organization:The new trainee was welcomed on board by the chairman.
board•ing
(bôr′ding, bōr′-),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Buildingwooden boards collectively.
- Buildinga structure of boards, as in a fence or a floor.
- the act of a person who boards a ship, train, airplane, or the like:an uneventful boarding.
- board + -ing1 1525–35
board
(bôrd, bōrd),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
v.i.
board′a•ble, adj.
board′like′, adj.
- a piece of wood sawed thin, and of considerable length and breadth compared with the thickness.
- a flat slab of wood or other material for some specific purpose:a cutting board.
- a sheet of wood, cardboard, paper, etc., with or without markings, for some special use, as a checkerboard or chessboard.
- boards:
- [Theat.]the stage:The play will go on the boards next week.
- the wooden fence surrounding the playing area of an ice-hockey rink.
- a racing course made of wood, used esp. in track meets held indoors:his first time running on boards.
- [Bookbinding.]stiff cardboard or other material covered with paper, cloth, or the like to form the covers for a book.
- [Building Trades.]composition material made in large sheets, as plasterboard or corkboard.
- a table, esp. to serve food on.
- daily meals, esp. as provided for pay:twenty dollars a day for room and board.
- an official group of persons who direct or supervise some activity:a board of directors.
- [Naut.]
- the side of a ship.
- one leg, or tack, of the course of a ship beating to windward.
- [Railroads.]a fixed signal or permanent sign regulating traffic.
- a flat surface, as a wall or an object of rectangular shape, on which something is posted, as notices or stock-market quotations:a bulletin board.
- surfboard.
- Computing
- Also called card, circuit board. a piece of fiberglass or other material upon which chips can be mounted to perform specific functions.
- plugboard (def. 2).
- ElectronicsSee circuit board (def. 2).
- a switchboard.
- [Australian.]
- the area of a woolshed where shearing is done.
- a crew of shearers working in a particular woolshed.
- sheep about to be sheared.
- [Obs.]the edge, border, or side of anything.
- across the board:
- [Racing.]betting on a horse or dog to finish first, second, or third, so that any result where a selection wins, places, or shows enables the bettor to collect.
- applying to or affecting every person, class, group, etc.
- go by the board:
- to go over the ship's side.
- to be destroyed, neglected, or forgotten:All his devoted labor went by the board.
- on board:
- on or in a ship, plane, or other vehicle:There were several movie stars on board traveling incognito.
- [Baseball.]on base:There were two men on board as the next batter came up.
- present and functioning as a member of a team or organization. Also, aboard.
- on the boards, in the theatrical profession:The family has been on the boards since grandfather's time.
- tread the boards. See tread (def. 11).
v.t.
- to cover or close with boards (often fol. by up or over):to board up a house; to board over a well.
- to furnish with meals, or with meals and lodging, esp. for pay:They boarded him for $50 a week.
- to go on board of or enter (a ship, train, etc.).
- to allow on board:We will be boarding passengers in approximately ten minutes.
- to come up alongside (a ship), as to attack or to go on board:The pirate ship boarded the clipper.
- [Obs.]to approach;
accost.
v.i.
- to take one's meals, or be supplied with food and lodging at a fixed price:Several of us board at the same rooming house.
- [Ice Hockey.]to hit an opposing player with a board check.
- bef. 900; Middle English, Old English bord board, table, shield; cognate with Dutch boord board, bord plate, German Bort, Old Norse borth, Gothic -baurd
board′like′, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
a long wide flat relatively thin piece of sawn timber a smaller flat piece of rigid material for a specific purpose: ironing board (in combination): breadboard, cheeseboard a person's food or meals, provided regularly for money or sometimes as payment for work done (esp in the phrases full board, board and lodging) a table, esp one used for eating at, and esp when laden with food - (sometimes functioning as plural)
a group of people who officially administer a company, trust, etc (as modifier): a board meeting any other committee or council: a board of interviewers - the boards ⇒ (plural)
the acting profession; the stage - short for blackboard, chessboard, notice board, springboard, surfboard
stiff cardboard or similar material covered with paper, cloth, etc, used for the outside covers of a book a flat thin rectangular sheet of composite material, such as plasterboard or chipboard a list on which stock-exchange securities and their prices are posted the stock exchange itself the side of a ship the part of the floor of a sheep-shearing shed, esp a raised part, where the shearers work any of various portable surfaces specially designed for indoor games such as chess, backgammon, etc - See above board
- go by the board ⇒
to be in disuse, neglected, or lost: in these days courtesy goes by the board - on board ⇒
on or in a ship, boat, aeroplane, or other vehicle
to go aboard (a vessel, train, aircraft, or other vehicle) to attack (a ship) by forcing one's way aboard - (tr; often followed by up, in, etc)
to cover or shut with boards - (intransitive)
to give or receive meals or meals and lodging in return for money or work - (sometimes followed by out)
to receive or arrange for (someone, esp a child) to receive food and lodging away from home, usually in return for payment