Billboards

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Large signs used for advertising purposes that are prominently placed in public locations to capture the attention of drivers and pedestrians
2. Extensive structures that promote products, services, or events through eye-catching images and slogans, often positioned in areas with heavy foot or vehicle traffic
3. Structures set up in open spaces displaying advertisements to be seen by many people

Etymology: "Billboards" is the plural of "billboard", a compound of "bill" and "board". The "bill" here is the older sense of a printed notice or poster, the same word that gives us playbills and handbills, and the "board" is the flat surface it was pasted or nailed to. The compound describes exactly what the object was: a board for posting bills. The plural follows the regular pattern for nouns ending in a consonant, so no spelling change is needed. Because the parts are so transparent, the word needs little explanation beyond its two components, and it has kept its literal sense: a billboard is still, at heart, a board carrying notices for passers-by.

Synonyms: advertisements, hoardings, posters, signboards, placards