BOARD

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does board mean? 

• BOARD (noun)
  The noun BOARD has 9 senses:

1. a committee having supervisory powers

2. a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes

3. a flat piece of material designed for a special purpose

4. food or meals in general

5. a vertical surface on which information can be displayed to public view

6. a table at which meals are served

7. electrical device consisting of a flat insulated surface that contains switches and dials and meters for controlling other electrical devices

8. a printed circuit that can be inserted into expansion slots in a computer to increase the computer's capabilities

9. a flat portable surface (usually rectangular) designed for board games

  Familiarity information: BOARD used as a noun is familiar.

• BOARD (verb)
  The verb BOARD has 4 senses:

1. get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)

2. live and take one's meals at or in

3. lodge and take meals (at)

4. provide food and lodging (for)

  Familiarity information: BOARD used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOARD (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A committee having supervisory powers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the board has seven members

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

commission; committee (a special group delegated to consider some matter)

Meronyms (members of "board"):

director (member of a board of directors)

board member (a member of a governing board)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

board of selectmen (a board of officials elected to administer the public business of a New England town)

zoning board (a board of officials who divide an area into zones that are subject to different restrictions)

board of education; school board (a board in charge of local public schools)

draft board (a board to select personnel for involuntary military service)

advisory board; planning board (a board appointed to advise the chief administrator)

board of directors; directorate (a group of persons chosen to govern the affairs of a corporation or other large institution)

governing board (a board that manages the affairs of an institution)

Federal Reserve Board (the seven-member board governing the Federal Reserve System)

appeal board; appeals board; board of appeals (a board of officials that are not judicial but are appointed to hear appeals)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

board; plank

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

lumber; timber (the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material)

Meronyms (parts of "board"):

knot (a hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a branch emerged)

knothole (a hole in a board where a knot came out)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

matchboard (a board that has a groove cut into one edge and a tongue cut into the other so they fit tightly together (as in a floor))

skid (one of a pair of planks used to make a track for rolling or sliding objects)

strake; wale (thick plank forming a ridge along the side of a wooden ship)

chipboard; hardboard (a cheap hard material made from wood chips that are pressed together and bound with synthetic resin)

deal (a plank of softwood (fir or pine board))

Sense 3

Meaning:

A flat piece of material designed for a special purpose

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

he nailed boards across the windows

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

flat solid; sheet (a flat artifact that is thin relative to its length and width)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

bread board; breadboard (a wooden or plastic board on which dough is kneaded or bread is sliced)

aquaplane (a board that is pulled by a speedboat as a person stands on it and skims over the top of the water)

work-board; workboard (a horizontal board that provides a supported surface for manual work)

dry wall; drywall; wallboard (a wide flat board used to cover walls or partitions; made from plaster or wood pulp or other materials and used primarily to form the interior walls of houses)

wake board; wakeboard (a buoyant board (resembling a surfboard) that is used to ride over water while being pulled behind a motorboat)

trencher (a wooden board or platter on which food is served or carved)

surfboard (a narrow buoyant board for riding surf)

springboard (a flexible board for jumping upward)

snowboard (a board that resembles a broad ski or a small surfboard; used in a standing position to slide down snow-covered slopes)

skateboard (a board with wheels that is ridden in a standing or crouching position and propelled by foot)

sideboard (a removable board fitted on the side of a wagon to increase its capacity)

sideboard (a board that forms part of the side of a bed or crib)

scoreboard (a large board for displaying the score of a contest (and some other information))

planchette (a triangular board supported on casters; when lightly touched with the fingertips it is supposed to spell out supernatural (or unconscious) messages)

palette; pallet (board that provides a flat surface on which artists mix paints and the range of colors used)

hawk; mortarboard (a square board with a handle underneath; used by masons to hold or carry mortar)

kneeler (a board (sometimes cushioned) for someone to kneel on)

ironing board (narrow padded board on collapsible supports; used for ironing clothes)

floor board; floorboard (a board in the floor)

drainboard; draining board (a board beside a kitchen sink and inclined to drain into the sink)

drafting board; drawing board (a smooth board on which paper is placed for making drawings)

chopping board; cutting board (a wooden board where meats or vegetables can be cut)

bulletin board; notice board (a board that hangs on a wall; displays announcements)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Food or meals in general

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

board; table

Context example:

room and board

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

fare (the food and drink that are regularly served or consumed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

training table (planned meals for athletes in training (usually served in a mess hall))

Derivation:

board (provide food and lodging (for))

board (lodge and take meals (at))

board (live and take one's meals at or in)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A vertical surface on which information can be displayed to public view

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

board; display board; display panel

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

display; video display (an electronic device that represents information in visual form)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

big board (the large display board at the New York Stock Exchange that reports on stocks traded on the exchange)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A table at which meals are served

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

board; dining table

Context example:

a feast was spread upon the board

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

table (a piece of furniture with tableware for a meal laid out on it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

high table (a dining table in a dining-hall raised on a platform; seats are reserved for distinguished persons)

triclinium (a dining table with couches along three sides in ancient Rome)

refectory table (a long narrow dining table supported by a stretcher between two trestles)

dinner table (the dining table where dinner is served and eaten)

dining-room table (dining-room furniture consisting of a table on which meals can be served)

Derivation:

board (provide food and lodging (for))

board (lodge and take meals (at))

board (live and take one's meals at or in)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Electrical device consisting of a flat insulated surface that contains switches and dials and meters for controlling other electrical devices

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

board; control board; control panel; instrument panel; panel

Context example:

suddenly the board lit up like a Christmas tree

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

electrical device (a device that produces or is powered by electricity)

Meronyms (parts of "board"):

idiot light (a colored warning light on an instrument panel (as for low oil pressure))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

dashboard; fascia (instrument panel on an automobile or airplane containing dials and controls)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A printed circuit that can be inserted into expansion slots in a computer to increase the computer's capabilities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

add-in; board; card; circuit board; circuit card; plug-in

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

printed circuit (computer circuit consisting of an electronic sub-assembly; copper conductors are laminated on an insulating board or card and circuit components are inserted into holes and dip soldered)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

CPU board; mother board (the main circuit board for a computer)

PC board (a removable circuit board for a personal computer; fits into a slot in the mother board)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A flat portable surface (usually rectangular) designed for board games

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

board; gameboard

Context example:

he got out the board and set up the pieces

Hypernyms ("board" is a kind of...):

surface (the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "board"):

punchboard (a small board full of holes; each hole contains a slip of paper with symbols printed on it; a gambler pays a small sum for the privilege of pushing out a slip in the hope of obtaining one that entitles him to a prize)

pegboard (a board perforated with regularly spaced holes into which pegs can be fitted)

Ouija; Ouija board (a board with the alphabet on it; used with a planchette to spell out supernatural messages)

monopoly board (a board used for playing monopoly)

dart board; dartboard (a circular board of wood or cork used as the target in the game of darts)

cribbage board (a board with pegs and regularly spaced holes for holding the pegs; used for keeping the score in a game of cribbage)

checker board; checkerboard (a board having 64 squares of two alternating colors)

backgammon board (the board on which backgammon is played)

go board (a board used for playing go)

• BOARD (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they board    ... he / she / it boards   
Past simple: boarded   
Past participle: boarded   
-ing form: boarding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

board; get on

Hypernyms (to "board" is one way to...):

come in; enter; get in; get into; go in; go into; move into (to come or go into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "board"):

embark; ship (go on board)

entrain (board a train)

catch (reach in time)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

boarder (someone who forces their way aboard ship)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Live and take one's meals at or in

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

board; room

Context example:

she rooms in an old boarding house

Hypernyms (to "board" is one way to...):

dwell; inhabit; live; populate (be an inhabitant of or reside in)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

board (a table at which meals are served)

board (food or meals in general)

boarder (a pupil who lives at school during term time)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Lodge and take meals (at)

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "board" is one way to...):

live (lead a certain kind of life; live in a certain style)

"Board" entails doing...:

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

Verb group:

board (provide food and lodging (for))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

board (a table at which meals are served)

board (food or meals in general)

boarder (a pupil who lives at school during term time)

boarder (a tenant in someone's house)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Provide food and lodging (for)

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Context example:

The old lady is boarding three men

Hypernyms (to "board" is one way to...):

cater; ply; provide; supply (give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance)

"Board" entails doing...:

feed; give (give food to)

Verb group:

board (lodge and take meals (at))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "board"):

live in; sleep in (live in the house where one works)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

board (a table at which meals are served)

board (food or meals in general)

 Context examples 

I put my cows and sheep into my coat-pockets, and got on board with all my little cargo of provisions.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

At a wholesale liquor store he bought two gallon-demijohns of old port, and with one in each hand boarded a Mission Street car, Martin at his heels burdened with several quart-bottles of whiskey.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

If you want to gather your ideas and start your vision board now, by all means, begin.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

In a new study, the researchers reveal a new generation of two-tailed bots powered by skeletal muscle tissue stimulated by on-board motor neurons.

(Researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves, National Science Foundation)

Visible Martian aurorae seemed possible after the SPICAM imaging instrument on-board the ESA satellite Mars Express spotted aurorae from space in 2005.

(Blue Aurorae in Mars’ Sky Visible to the Naked Eye, NASA)

A circuit board with connectors into which other cards are plugged.

(Backplane Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called board certified oncology pharmacy specialist and oncology pharmacy specialist.

(BCOP, NCI Dictionary)

A 1912 report to the UK Parliament mentioned, but dismissed as a cause, the on-board fire.

(UK documentary claims fire weakened RMS Titanic, Wikinews)

Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

With these words the Witch fell down in a brown, melted, shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)