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paddleboard

American  
[pad-l-bawrd] / ˈpæd lˌbɔrd /

noun

  1. a board of variable size, similar to a surfboard in shape, used in any of various watersports that involve sitting, kneeling, lying, or standing on the board and propelling it with the hands or a paddle.


verb (used without object)

  1. to engage in any of various watersports that involve riding on a board similar in shape to a surfboard while propelling it with the hands or a paddle, depending on whether one is sitting, kneeling, lying, or standing.

    If you’re heading out to paddleboard for the first time, go to a place you’re familiar with, and go with a friend.

paddleboard British  
/ ˈpædəlˌbɔːd /

noun

  1. a long narrow surfboard

"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 paddleboard

First recorded in 1780–90, for an earlier sense; 1930–35, for the current senses; paddle 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.

With just five hours left on his honeymoon at the Radisson Blu resort in Poste Lafayette, South African finance executive Leonard Beukman, 29, decided to squeeze in a paddleboard session.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

You can paddleboard for €12 an hour in Audierne or take an-hour-and-a-half surfing lesson for €45.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Frank’s Paddlesport Livery is the first recreational kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboard operator to open downtown, thanks to the cleanup effort.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

A paddleboard firm boss jailed after four people died in a river accident was sacked from the police over a fraudulent insurance claim.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

Meanwhile I’m nailing the paddleboard between the two wheels while Alice and Miss Turner are building a wall outside the millhouse on which to lay the wheel shaft.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George