clapboard

noun

1
archaic : a size of board for making staves and wainscoting
2
: a narrow board usually thicker at one edge than the other used for siding
3
ˈklap-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce clapboard (audio) : a pair of hinged boards one of which has a slate with data identifying a piece of film and which are banged together in front of a motion-picture camera at the start of a take to facilitate editing

called also clapper board

clapboard transitive verb

Examples of clapboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Painting your front door this inviting shade of blue, paired with a white clapboard house and front porch swing, defines a scenic home. Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2024 The recently reopened 64-room resort made its debut in 1886 as a 19th-century stagecoach stop—and the original cottages have been meticulously renovated and restored to blend seamlessly with the new and airy clapboard bedrooms in the property’s guest house. Ariel Okin, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2023 But the show wastes no opportunity to ram home that '40s feeling—every room is dimly lit, and every Allied office feels like a ramshackle clapboard mess. Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024 Remembering Amy Winehouse's Life in Photos Winehouse is next seen in some candid shots waiting to film scenes for the video as a clapboard appears in front of her face. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024 The 66 accommodations—which include suites with private heated pools and sundecks—are scattered throughout tropical-colored clapboard cottages enveloped in hibiscus and lush palms. Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Jan. 2024 But Carlson often shops at one of the few businesses in town, a yellow clapboard convenience store. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 1 May 2023 When paired with white brick or clapboard, this paint color is especially great for a house. Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023 This was August 1975, and Debbie was newly married, living with her husband, Doug Williamson, in a small brick house with clapboard siding in what was then a rural part of Lubbock, Texas. Sarah Viren, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

partial translation of Dutch klaphout stave wood

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clapboard was circa 1520

Dictionary Entries Near clapboard

Cite this Entry

“Clapboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clapboard. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clapboard

noun
clap·​board ˈklab-ərd How to pronounce clapboard (audio) ˈkla(p)-ˌbō(ə)rd How to pronounce clapboard (audio)
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
: a narrow board thicker at one edge than at the other used to cover the sides of wooden buildings
clapboard verb

More from Merriam-Webster on clapboard

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