checkerboard

[ chek-er-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

1. a board marked off into 64 squares of two alternating colors, arranged in eight vertical and eight horizontal rows, on which checkers checker or chess is played.
2. a design resembling this:

   The garden was laid out in a checkerboard.

verb (used with object)

1. to arrange in or mark with a checkerboard pattern:

   a wall checkerboarded with black and white tiles.

checkerboard

/ ˈtʃɛkəˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a square board divided into 64 squares of alternating colours, used for playing checkers or chess Also called (in Britain and certain other countries)draughtboard

Word History and Origins

Origin of checkerboard¹

First recorded in 1765–75; checker ¹ + board

Example Sentences

But if the Supreme Court had let the Colorado ruling stand, it could have triggered a new wave of litigation that might have left Trump disqualified in a checkerboard of states across the country.

From Seattle Times

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision tossing out Roe left the country with a checkerboard of state abortion laws.

From Seattle Times

The changes are some of the most tangible examples of how a checkerboard of laws and regulations is now fracturing people’s technology experiences based on where they live.

From New York Times

This year, designers also like checkerboard patterns and tassels, fringe, braids and cords for window treatments and upholstery details.

From Seattle Times

At an atomic level, 2D slices of solid materials can be thought of as giant checkerboards in which the pieces are electrons and the vacant spaces are “holes,” which behave like positively charged electrons.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• chain
• grid
• net
• organization
• structure
• system
• web