backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbȯrd 

1

: a board placed at or serving as the back of something

especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket

2

: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport

Examples of backboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shot came close, bouncing off the backboard to the front of the rim before hitting the floor. —Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2025

But UConn forward Jayden Ross flew in from the perimeter, loaded up behind him and swatted the shot off the backboard. —Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2025

That meant Jalen Suggs never took the inbounds pass, never frantically dribbled just a few steps past halfcourt and never launched the shot that bounced off the backboard and through the net, breaking the heart of every Bruin. —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024

The good news is that the tight end was showing movement in his extremities, but the medical staff immediately placed him on a backboard to be carted off the field. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

backboard

noun

back·​board ˈbak-ˌbōrd 

-ˌbȯrd

: a board placed at the back or serving as a back

especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court

Medical Definition

backboard

noun

back·​board -ˌbȯrd 

: a stiff board on which an injured person and especially one with neck or spinal injuries is placed and immobilized in order to prevent further injury during transport