boarding

American  

[bawr-ding, bohr-] / ˈbɔr dɪŋ, ˈboʊr- /

noun

1. wooden boards collectively.

2. a structure of boards, as in a fence or a floor.

3. the act of a person who boards a ship, train, airplane, or the like.

   an uneventful boarding.

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boarding British  

/ ˈbɔːdɪŋ /

noun

1. a structure of boards, such as a floor or fence

2. timber boards collectively

3. 1. the act of embarking on an aircraft, train, ship, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a boarding pass

4. a process used in tanning to accentuate the natural grain of hides, in which the surface of a softened leather is lightly creased by folding grain to grain and the fold is worked to and fro across the leather

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Other Word Forms

• preboarding adjective

Etymology

Origin of boarding

First recorded in 1525–35; board + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

One South Sudanese sophomore at Bates College in Maine was stopped from boarding her flight back to the U.S. the day after the ban was announced.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

He conceived the social experiment based on a combination of his curiosity about people, the influence of “Lord of the Flies” and “Robinson Crusoe,” and his boarding school experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

But there was a moment, when this man was boarding the bus, that the footage showed him in profile – this moment was what convinced police it was Stephen McCullagh.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

At the time, Phelps was a deputy boarding housemaster, tutor and performing arts technician at the senior school for students aged 13 to 18.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

“I do. I used to. But I’ve been away at boarding school, and then university, and then here…Why bishop takes knight? I can just capture back, improve my pawn structure.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• catch
• climb on
• enter
• get on
• hop on