clipboard

[ klip-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

1. a small board having at the top a clip for holding papers and serving as a portable writing surface.

clipboard

/ ˈklɪpˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a portable writing board with a spring clip at the top for holding paper
2. a temporary storage area in desktop publishing where text or graphics are held after the cut command or the copy command

Word History and Origins

Origin of clipboard¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; clip ² + board

Example Sentences

“I honestly have no idea,” a worker with a clipboard and a walkie-talkie said when asked what they were shooting.

From Los Angeles Times

She asked for more details and told the man she was a judge — at which point he yanked the clipboard away, she said, and asked: “Am I going to get in trouble?”

From New York Times

Amy Bernstein, a traffic court judge in Brooklyn, was heading home from work one night in late April when, she said, a young man carrying a clipboard approached her on the subway platform, asking if she would sign a petition to help place independents on the ballot in New York.

From New York Times

He grabbed his clipboard to draw up a play with his coaching staff gathered around him and his players looking weary from the onslaught from the Mavericks and their point guard Kyrie Irving, who had 28 of his 30 points in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times

Wearing a hard hat and with a clipboard in hand, she would accompany maritime inspectors on board ships she’d helped design and examine the product of her labors.

From New York Times