backboard

American

[bak-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈbækˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

a board placed at or forming the back of anything.
Basketball. a board or other flat vertical surface to which the basket is attached.

backboard British

/ ˈbækˌbɔːd /

noun

a board that is placed behind something to form or support its back
a board worn to straighten or support the back, as after surgery
(in basketball) a flat upright surface supported on a high frame, under which the basket is attached

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of backboard

First recorded in 1755–65; back ¹ + board

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A three-pointer clanked off the side of the backboard.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

But Bryant repeatedly missed his final dunk, a between the legs and off the backboard reverse slam.

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

Embiid had the ball in the lane, threw it off the backboard to pass it to himself, rose up and slammed it down with 2:49 remaining in the second quarter.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2024

“Just shoot it,” Bryce commented while walking into the house with his back to the basket as the ball bounced off the backboard and through the hoop.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024

We had a terrific guy on the team, Howie Coyle, that could sink them from the middle of the floor, without even touching the backboard or anything.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023