blackboard

American  

[blak-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈblækˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

• blackboards
  plural

1. a sheet of smooth, hard material, especially dark slate, used in schools, lecture rooms, etc., for writing or drawing on with chalk.

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blackboard British  

/ ˈblækˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a hard or rigid surface made of a smooth usually dark substance, used for writing or drawing on with chalk, esp in teaching

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• blackboards
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of blackboard

First recorded in 1815–25; black + board

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blackboard blackboards

Looming behind the bluesman is a blackboard, on which a genealogy of the blues has been chalk-drawn in an orderly hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

The host walked me to the seating at the back of the restaurant, and we passed a huge blackboard that read, “Leave a message for Mr. G or Lady G.”

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2024

One of the first buildings players enter - the local pub, of course - has a blackboard outside advertising today's special.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024

Even though it might be the same observation about the world, about what's on the other side of a blackboard, that feels different coming from the voice of a child.

From Salon ● May 22, 2024

“That’s right,” said Miss K, who was drawing a maze on the blackboard as Ryan spoke.

From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary

Supporters on both sides are claiming victory based on images circulating on social media of blackboards and papers tallying the results.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

The Michigan artist’s paintings can resemble palimpsests, reused documents that reveal multiple levels of text or imagery, or explicitly evoke partly erased blackboards.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 28, 2022

I remember how excited and happy I was even though my school had no chairs, no blackboards, no books — the classroom in ruins from the war.

From New York Times ● Aug. 12, 2022

At the 4.16 Memorial Classroom, a museum dedicated to the students, the victims’ classrooms are re-created with desks, blackboards and other furniture from the school.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

We do group murals on the blackboards or on large rolls of brown paper.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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