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

Towns sustained the injury in Monday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons, jamming his thumb on the bottom of the backboard during a drive to the rim. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025

The run was marked by a succession of Sellers buckets, from 3-pointers to midrange jumpers and under-the-basket, finger-roll spins off the backboard. —Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025

Has a float game off the backboard and his J looks smooth. —Stan Son, The Athletic, 18 July 2024

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

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