backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
1
: a board placed at or serving as the back of something
especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket
2
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

Examples of backboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But its basketball hoops have already lost their glass backboards, which were shattered by vandals. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Johnson’s last-second attempt hit off the backboard, sending the game into overtime. Staff and News Service Reports, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Drill through the top of the board into the sides of the cubby dividers and backboard to attach with 1-1/4-inch screws. Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 But Edwards came to life with 14 points in the third quarter, at one point escaping traffic in the lane by chest-passing the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Dave Campbell, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 Chucky Hepburn bounced a fast-break assist off the backboard for the high-flying UW sophomore, who made a poster out of Iowa forward Payton Sandfort in an 83-72 win over the Hawkeyes on Tuesday. Journal Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024 The backboard lob from Cameron Valentine last year in the playoffs for sure. Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb. 2024 While the range of injuries was vast, the lifesaving action was simple: backboard and transport. Cathleen Calkins, Longreads, 23 Jan. 2024 It got stuck behind the backboard and he was summoned to help as one of the taller players on the floor. Beth Harris, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backboard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of backboard was in 1761

Dictionary Entries Near backboard

Cite this Entry

“Backboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backboard. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

backboard

noun
back·​board ˈbak-ˌbōrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
-ˌbȯrd
: a board placed at the back or serving as a back
especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court

Medical Definition

backboard

noun
back·​board -ˌbȯrd How to pronounce backboard (audio)
: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

More from Merriam-Webster on backboard

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