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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.

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

From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026

Or, they could lurk around the backboard, as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman likes to say, in case his market develops differently than expected.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2024

And Austin Reaves, standing wide open in the corner, shot a three that hit the side of the backboard.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2024

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

I hit the backboard with a thump, and J.W. was all over me.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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