backboard

Meaning

Noun

• The flat vertical surface to which the basket is attached.
• A flat vertical wall with the image of a tennis net drawn or painted on it. Designed to practice hitting against such that the ball bounces back.
• A spine board.
• A board placed at the back of a cart, boat, etc.
• The port or larboard side of a ship

Origin

• back + board
• Likely a borrowing from Dutch bakboord or from Middle Low German backbort, bakbōrt. Old English bæcbord did not survive (in that form) into Middle English; Scottish texts of the 1500s have forms like bawbord, baburd and babord, possibly borrowed from French bâbord; later texts with Scots backburd, backber may have borrowed it from Old Norse bakborði. Cognate with West Frisian bakboard, German Backbord.