use-icon

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

use-icon

THE USAGE PANEL

The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.

The Panelists

open-icon

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.

scroll-icon

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.

100-words-icon

See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series!

Find out more!

open-icon

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com

board (bôrd)
Share:
n.
1.
a. A long flat slab of sawed lumber; a plank.
b. A long flat slab of another material, used as a structural member.
2. A flat, rigid, often rectangular piece of material used as a surface upon which to work: a cutting board; an ironing board.
3. A flat piece of rigid material designed to display information, especially:
a. A blackboard.
b. A bulletin board.
c. A scoreboard.
d. A toteboard.
4. Sports
a. A flat piece of material designed or equipped to be ridden as a sport, especially a snowboard, skateboard, or surfboard.
b. A diving board.
c. A backboard.
5. A flat, rigid piece of material on which a game is played, such as a checkerboard or chessboard.
6.
a. A table at which official meetings are held; a council table.
b. An organized body of administrators or investigators: a board of trustees; a board of directors.
7.
a. A table, especially one set for serving food.
b. Food or meals considered as a whole: board and lodging.
8. boards
a. Sports The wooden structure enclosing an area for skating, such as the ice on which hockey is played, or enclosing a playing area, as for indoor soccer.
b. A theater stage.
9. Basketball A rebound.
10.
a. An electrical-equipment panel.
b. Computers A circuit board.
11. Nautical
a. The side of a ship.
b. A leeboard.
c. A centerboard.
12. Obsolete A border or edge.
v. board·ed, board·ing, boards
v.tr.
1. To cover or close with boards: board up a broken window.
2.
a. To furnish with meals in return for pay.
b. To house where board is furnished: board a horse at a stable.
3.
a. To enter or go aboard (a vehicle or ship).
b. To allow (passengers) on board.
c. Nautical To come alongside (a ship).
4. Sports To force (an opposing hockey player) into the boards with a body check.
5. Obsolete To approach.
v.intr.
1. To receive meals or food and lodging as a paying customer.
2. Sports To use a snowboard, skateboard, surfboard, or similar item.
Idioms:
across the board
So as to affect or include all people, classes, or categories: raised taxes across the board.
on board
1. Aboard.
2. Ready to participate or be included; amenable: The entire class was on board for the excursion to the park.
[Middle English bord, from Old English.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

American Heritage Dictionary Products