aboard

American  

[uh-bawrd, uh-bohrd] / əˈbɔrd, əˈboʊrd /

adverb

1. on board; on, in, or into a ship, train, airplane, bus, etc..

   to step aboard.

2. alongside; to the side.

3. Baseball. on base.

   a homer with two aboard.

4. into a group as a new member.

   The office manager welcomed him aboard.

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preposition

1. on board of; on, in, or into.

   to come aboard a ship.

idioms

1. all aboard! (as a warning to passengers entering or planning to enter a train, bus, boat, etc., just before starting) Everyone get on!

aboard British  

/ əˈbɔːd /

adverb

1. on, in, onto, or into (a ship, train, aircraft, etc)

2. nautical alongside (a vessel)

3. a warning to passengers to board a vehicle, ship, etc

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Etymology

Origin of aboard

1350–1400; Middle English abord ( e ) ( see a- ¹, board), perhaps conflated with Middle French a bord

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Explanation

The adverb aboard means on board, as in on a ship, train or plane. Usually the captain will welcome you aboard with a brief speech if you're lucky — or a long one if you're not. Aboard comes from the French phrase à bord, which has the same meaning as the English word — on board. If you were just hired, your new manager might say "Welcome aboard" (the figurative company train). The phrase "All aboard!" is said as a warning before departure, especially before a ship or train leaves. It means, in essence: haul your keister up here quick or you'll be left behind!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aboard

The fluorescent lithium fluoride detectors aboard Artemis I were manufactured using the Czochralski method, a technique for growing crystals.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

Deep cuts: Set in the year 2455, a cryogenically frozen Jason is aboard a space station, waiting to be studied by a collection of young scientists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The 80-plus years of U.S.-Saudi friendship, which began when Franklin D. Roosevelt met King Abdulaziz aboard a ship off Egypt in 1945, have been marked by repeated disagreements and disappointments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

"SolarStratos takes another step towards its ultimate goal: reaching the stratosphere aboard a crewed electric and solar-powered aircraft, without using a single drop of fossil fuel."

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

The presence of so much rosewood aboard the Shinan ship was a strong indication that the vessel had sailed as far as Southeast Asia and with the intention of trading in Korea and Japan.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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