cardboard

[kahrd-bawrd, -bohrd]

See more synonyms for cardboard on Thesaurus.com

noun

a thin, stiff pasteboard, used for signs, boxes, etc.

adjective

resembling cardboard, especially in flimsiness: an apartment with cardboard walls.
not fully lifelike; shallow; two-dimensional: a play with cardboard characters.

Origin of cardboard

First recorded in 1840–50; card¹ + board

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cardboard

Contemporary Examples

Host and guest pop and lock on cardboard—the only proper surface for breakdancing—and in no way did they have dancing doubles.
Breakdancing Brad Pitt, Chainsaw Massacre Prank, and More Viral Videos
The Daily Beast Video
October 19, 2014
A heavy trowel is used to retrieve a mass of your chosen kind of ice cream from its tub and put it in the cardboard container.
Dr. Mike’s Makes the Best Ice Cream on Earth
Jane & Michael Stern
July 27, 2014
By the end of the day, six more bodies were found, each wrapped in clothing and blankets, each in its own cardboard box.
Utah’s Murderer Mom Is a Monster but She’s Not the First
Steve Miller
April 16, 2014
The train is literally made out of cardboard with smoke coming out of the top it.
The Look of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’
Andrew Romano
March 7, 2014
And this train, which was just a bunch of cardboard with a cowcatcher attached to it, was pushed into view by a bunch of people.
Ralph Fiennes Discusses ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ J. Lo, and That ‘Seinfeld’ Episode
Marlow Stern
March 6, 2014

Historical Examples

There was a rush and faint roar of the flame up the chimney as the cardboard burned.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
"Just look, it's like cardboard," continued she, making one crackle between her fingers.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
Monsieur Madinier's cardboard business was barely surviving.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
It takes me too long to stick all those little bits of cardboard together.
Fruitfulness
Emile Zola
Here are dealers in toys, cardboard boxes, second-hand books.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for cardboard

cardboard

noun

1. a thin stiff board made from paper pulp and used esp for making cartons
2. (as modifier)cardboard boxes

adjective

(prenominal) without substancea cardboard smile; a cardboard general

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

Word Origin and History for cardboard

n.

1848, from card (n.) + board (n.1). Figurative sense is from 1893. An earlier word for the same stuff was card paper (1777).

cardboard

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}cardboard

Examples from the Web for cardboard

Contemporary Examples

Host and guest pop and lock on cardboard—the only proper surface for breakdancing—and in no way did they have dancing doubles.

A heavy trowel is used to retrieve a mass of your chosen kind of ice cream from its tub and put it in the cardboard container.

By the end of the day, six more bodies were found, each wrapped in clothing and blankets, each in its own cardboard box.

The train is literally made out of cardboard with smoke coming out of the top it.

And this train, which was just a bunch of cardboard with a cowcatcher attached to it, was pushed into view by a bunch of people.

Historical Examples

There was a rush and faint roar of the flame up the chimney as the cardboard burned.

"Just look, it's like cardboard," continued she, making one crackle between her fingers.

Monsieur Madinier's cardboard business was barely surviving.

It takes me too long to stick all those little bits of cardboard together.

Here are dealers in toys, cardboard boxes, second-hand books.

cardboard

Word Origin and History for cardboard

n.

Origin of cardboard