blackboard

[ blak-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

1. a sheet of smooth, hard material, especially dark slate, used in schools, lecture rooms, etc., for writing or drawing on with chalk.

blackboard

/ ˈblækˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a hard or rigid surface made of a smooth usually dark substance, used for writing or drawing on with chalk, esp in teaching

Word History and Origins

Origin of blackboard¹

First recorded in 1815–25; black + board

Example Sentences

The host walked me to the seating at the back of the restaurant, and we passed a huge blackboard that read, “Leave a message for Mr. G or Lady G.”

From Slate

One of the first buildings players enter - the local pub, of course - has a blackboard outside advertising today's special.

From BBC

Even though it might be the same observation about the world, about what's on the other side of a blackboard, that feels different coming from the voice of a child.

From Salon

A blackboard below the service counter displays the cafe’s “commitments” in rainbow chalk, promising to “provide a welcoming gathering space to eat, chat and work.”

From Seattle Times

From the bracing opening scene of “American Fiction,” in which a slur appears on a blackboard as part of the title of a Flannery O’Connor short story Monk is teaching to a class of college students, the film wades into thorny issues of race, authenticity and what white audiences demand from Black artists — and has great satirical fun doing it.

From New York Times