Board

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bɔːd/

Definitions

1. A flat, rigid piece of material, typically wood, used for various purposes such as construction, writing surfaces, or as part of a structure
2. A flat, rectangular object often made of wood or another material is used to create surfaces, while also referring to a decision-making group and the act of entering a vehicle or vessel
3. A thin, flat slab generally made of wood or similar substance used as a surface or component ; a group of individuals managing an organization or committee ; to get on or enter a mode of transport such as a ship, plane, or train

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "board" is that its oldest sense was a table, not a plank. Old English "bord" meant a table, and the sense of a flat piece of timber came from that. The English word grew out of a Proto-Germanic root, *burdą, meaning "board, plank; edge; table," which is shared with Dutch "bord," Swedish and Icelandic "bord," and German "Bord," a shelf. The table sense also explains two meanings that seem unrelated to wood. "Board" came to mean food, as in "board and lodging," because meals were served at the table. It came to mean a council or committee because such bodies met around a table, the sense the word still carries in phrases like "board of directors."

Synonyms: plank, panel, sheet, surface, platform

Antonyms: disband, dismantle