boarder

American  

[bawr-der, bohr-] / ˈbɔr dər, ˈboʊr- /

noun

1. a person, especially a lodger, who is supplied with regular meals.

2. a member of a boarding party.

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boarder British  

/ ˈbɔːdə /

noun

1. a pupil who lives at school during term time

2. a child who lives away from its parents and is cared for by a person or organization receiving payment

3. another word for lodger

4. a person who boards a ship, esp one who forces his way aboard in an attack

   stand by to repel boarders

5. informal a person who takes part in sailboarding or snowboarding

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Etymology

Origin of boarder

First recorded in 1520–30; board + -er ¹

Explanation

A boarder is someone who rents a room in someone's house. It can also be a student who lives and studies away from home at a boarding school. There are two main meanings of boarder, but they both involve staying somewhere away from home. A boarding school is a private school where students live as well as study. Those students are called boarders. Also, if someone rents a room of their house to guests, the guests are boarders. Holden Caulfield, the main character of "Catcher in the Rye," was a boarder; that is, until he got thrown out of Pencey Prep.