Boarding

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of entering or getting onto a vehicle or ship ; the provision of a place to stay along with meals ; the process of covering or closing something with wooden boards
2. The action of stepping onto a plane, train, or boat ; accommodation that includes food and lodging ; the method of enclosing an area or object using wooden boards
3. Entering a mode of transport for travel ; living arrangements that include room and board ; the act of fixing boards to cover or seal a surface

Etymology: "Boarding" is simply "board" with the suffix "-ing" added, and the two parts carry their meanings straight into the whole. "Board" has long meant a flat piece of timber, and by extension the deck or side of a ship, so to go on board was to step aboard a vessel. The suffix turns the verb into a noun for the act itself, which is why "boarding" now covers climbing onto a plane, train, or bus as readily as a ship.

Synonyms: embarkation, loading, getting on, entering, joining

Antonyms: disembarkation, alighting, leaving