board

views updated

board flat piece of wood; table (now only as used for meals); border, edge (now only in seaboard); ship's side. OE. bord combines two orig. distinct Gmc. words: (i) a str. n. = OS. bord, MHG., G. bort board, ON. borð, Goth. (fōtu)baurd :- Gmc. *borðam; (ii) a str. m. = OS. bord, ON. borð :- Gmc. *borðaz. The OE. words were reinforced in ME. by the uses of F. bord (of Gmc. orig.).
Hence board vb. XV.

More From encyclopedia.com