snowboard

American  

[snoh-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈsnoʊˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a board for gliding on snow, resembling a wide ski, to which both feet are secured and that one rides in an upright position.

   Make sure the dimensions of your snowboard meet the competition requirements.

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verb (used without object)

1. to ride a snowboard.

   Of all the places I snowboarded last winter, my favorite was Mammoth Mountain.

snowboard British  

/ ˈsnəʊˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a shaped board, resembling a skateboard without wheels, on which a person can stand to slide across snow

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• snowboarder
  noun
• snowboarding
  noun

Etymology

Origin of snowboard

First recorded in 1980–85; snow + board

Explanation

A snowboard is very similar to a surfboard, but it's for standing on and sliding down a snowy mountain. If you visit a ski resort, you'll see many people zipping down the slopes on snowboards. The equipment that you use for surfing down snow-covered hills is called a snowboard, and you can also use the word as a verb: many teenagers love to snowboard during the winter. Snowboarders usually wear helmets and strap their snowboards to their boots. They often fly down mountains alongside skiers, and they tend to fall down much more often. Snowboards, along with the word itself, became popular in the 1980's.

Example Sentences

"I'm stoked beyond measure. Every time I strap into my snowboard I count my stars," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

The female GB flagbearer was Charlotte Bankes, who won gold in the team snowboard cross with Huw Nightingale; it was the first Olympic event on snow won by British athletes.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

“I think I could get good in snowboard, because I just like the creativity of when you’re in the air you have full control but you in the air,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

It wasn’t immediately clear whether any of those women had ties to the Sugar Bowl Academy, a private ski and snowboard school and club in the Tahoe area.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

He's about eighteen, and he's got on baggy blue jeans and a snowboard sweater and a beanie, and I'm watching him.

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements