billboard

¹

[ bil-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

1. a flat surface or board, usually outdoors, on which large advertisements or notices are posted.

verb (used with object)

1. to place, advertise, proclaim, etc., on or as if on a billboard:

   The movie was billboarded as the year's biggest hit.

billboard

²

[ bil-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

, Nautical.

1. anchor bed.

billboard

¹

/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

1. another name for hoarding

billboard

²

/ ˈbɪlˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a fitting at the bow of a vessel for securing an anchor

Word History and Origins

Origin of billboard¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; bill ¹ + board

Origin of billboard²

First recorded in 1855–60; bill ³ + board

Word History and Origins

Origin of billboard¹

C19: from bill ¹+ board

Origin of billboard²

C19: from bill ² + board

Example Sentences

It was a photo of a billboard at the Cannes film festival, part of a series imagining a better future, and it said, "In the future, every woman will have a f**k off fund."

From Salon

We played the Whisky a Go Go, then we drove past A&M Records on La Brea, and there was a huge billboard with our faces on it.

From Los Angeles Times

Two years earlier, on Pico Boulevard, a crane holding a billboard toppled over and chaos ensued.

From Los Angeles Times

Electronic billboards promoting Trump’s campaign along freeways flash messages that the former president is the sole candidate in the race who can secure the border and that Harris will raise taxes.

From Los Angeles Times

Ohtani is, of course, a national hero in all of Japan, his image plastered over billboards, green tea advertisements and newspaper pages.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advertisement
• placard
• poster
• signboard