drawing board

American  

noun

• drawing boards
  plural

1. a rectangular board on which paper is placed or mounted for drawing or drafting.

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idioms

1. back to the drawing board, back to the original or an earlier stage of planning or development.

   Our plan didn't work out, so it's back to the drawing board.

2. on the drawing board, in the planning or design stage.

   The shopping center is still on the drawing board.

drawing board British  

noun

1. a smooth flat rectangular board on which paper, canvas, etc, is placed for making drawings

2. return to an earlier stage in an enterprise because a planned undertaking has failed

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drawing board More Idioms  

1. see back to the drawing board.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• drawing boards
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of drawing board

First recorded in 1715–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drawing board

“It sometimes takes a long time to get these projects off the drawing board and to shovels working.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

“It’s something that I’m going to kind of go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program. and see what I can come up with for next season.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The prosecution said the developers failed to use the first falling window as a reason to "go back to the drawing board".

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

“I’m going to have to completely go back to the drawing board, rethink my life and probably start at the bottom in a new industry,” Abernathy said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

While the twenty-seven-inch accelerator was still on the drawing board, Lawrence and Livingston worked intently to improve the performance of the eleven-inch chamber that Livingston had built for the old magnet.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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