10 → see also bulletin board
11 PHRASE An arrangement or deal that is above board is legal and is being carried out honestly and openly. □ All I knew about were Antony's own financial dealings, which were always above board.
12 PHRASE If a policy or a situation applies across the board , it affects everything or everyone in a particular group. □ There are hefty charges across the board for one-way rental. □ The President promised across-the-board tax cuts if re-elected.
13 PHRASE If something goes by the board , it is rejected or ignored, or is no longer possible. □ There was certainty in employment, which has completely gone by the board now.
14 PHRASE When you are on board a train, ship, or aircraft, you are on it or in it. □ They arrived at Gatwick airport on board a plane chartered by the Italian government. □ …a naval task force with two thousand marines on board.
15 PHRASE If someone sweeps the board in a competition or election, they win nearly everything that it is possible to win. □ Spain swept the board in boys' team competitions.
16 PHRASE If you take on board an idea or a problem, you begin to accept it or understand it. □ I hope that they will take on board some of what you have said.
▸ board up PHRASAL VERB If you board up a door or window, you fix pieces of wood over it so that it is covered up. □ [V P n] Shopkeepers have boarded up their windows. [Also V n P ] ● board|ed up ADJ □ Half the shops are boarded up on the estate's small shopping street.
boa rd and lo dg|ing N‑UNCOUNT If you are provided with board and lodging , you are provided with food and a place to sleep, especially as part of the conditions of a job. □ You get a big salary incentive and free board and lodging too.
board|er /bɔː r də r / (boarders ) N‑COUNT A boarder is a pupil who lives at school during the term. [BRIT ] □ Sue was a boarder at Benenden.
boa rd game (board games ) also board-game N‑COUNT A board game is a game such as chess or backgammon, which people play by moving small objects around on a board. □ …a new board game played with dice.
board|ing /bɔː r d I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Boarding is an arrangement by which children live at school during the school term. □ …the master in charge of boarding. □ Average boarding fees are £10,350.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Boarding is long, flat pieces of wood which can be used to make walls, doors, and fences. □ …the white-painted boarding in the sitting room.
boa rd|ing card (boarding cards ) N‑COUNT A boarding card is a card which a passenger must have when boarding a plane or a boat.
boa rd|ing house (boarding houses ) The spellings boardinghouse in American English, and boarding-house in British English are also used. N‑COUNT A boarding house is a house which people pay to stay in for a short time.
boa rd|ing school (boarding schools ) also boarding-school N‑VAR A boarding school is a school which some or all of the pupils live in during the school term. Compare day school .
boa rd of di|re c|tors (boards of directors ) N‑COUNT A company's board of directors is the group of people elected by its shareholders to manage the company. [BUSINESS ] □ The Board of Directors has approved the decision unanimously.
board|room /bɔː r druːm/ (boardrooms ) also board room N‑COUNT The boardroom is a room where the board of a company meets. [BUSINESS ] □ Everyone had already assembled in the boardroom for the 9:00 a.m. session.
board|walk /bɔː r dwɔːk/ (boardwalks ) N‑COUNT A boardwalk is a path made of wooden boards, especially one along a beach. [AM ]
boast /boʊ st/ (boasts , boasting , boasted )
1 VERB If someone boasts about something that they have done or that they own, they talk about it very proudly, in a way that other people may find irritating or offensive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V that] Witnesses said Furci boasted that he took part in killing them. □ [V + about/of ] Carol boasted about her costume. □ [V + about/of ] He's boasted of being involved in the arms theft. □ [V ] We remember our mother's stern instructions not to boast. [Also V with quote] ● N‑COUNT [oft N that] Boast is also a noun. □ It is the charity's proud boast that it has never yet turned anyone away.
2 VERB If someone or something can boast a particular achievement or possession, they have achieved or possess that thing. □ [V n] The houses will boast the latest energy-saving technology.
boast|ful /boʊ stfʊl/ ADJ If someone is boastful , they talk too proudly about something that they have done or that they own. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm not being boastful. □ …boastful predictions.
boat ◆◆◇ /boʊ t/ (boats )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A boat is something in which people can travel across water. □ One of the best ways to see the area is in a small boat. □ The island may be reached by boat from the mainland.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to a passenger ship as a boat . □ When the boat reached Cape Town, we said a temporary goodbye.
3 → see also gravy boat , rowing boat
4 PHRASE If you say that someone has missed the boat , you mean that they have missed an opportunity and may not get another.
5 PHRASE If you push the boat out , you spend a lot of money on something, especially in order to celebrate. [BRIT ] □ I earn enough to push the boat out now and again.