Billboard

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large outdoor structure designated for conveying commercial messages, usually positioned in areas with heavy foot or vehicular traffic
2. A sizable advertising display typically mounted on a structure, designed to showcase commercial content to passersby in high-traffic locations and frequently seen from a distance
3. An extensive sign used for advertisement purposes, generally placed in prominent outdoor locations to attract attention from motorists and pedestrians alike

Etymology: "Billboard" is a plain compound: "bill" joined to "board." The "bill" here is the older sense of a written or printed notice, the same root behind "bill" for a handbill or a poster, and a "board" is a flat surface on which such notices were fixed. A billboard, then, was originally simply a board for posting bills. The word's centre of gravity has shifted over time, though. A flat surface bearing notices is now a large commercial structure beside roads and rail lines, and the word has moved from the announcement itself to the frame that displays it. The "bill" half of the compound has largely faded from ordinary use, surviving mainly in this word and in phrases like "bill of fare."

Synonyms: signboard, advertisement