blackboard

noun, verb — 2 senses

blackboard

noun

US /ˈblækbɔɹd/ · UK /ˈblækbɔːd/

Etymology From black + board, because such surfaces were once typically made of black slate.

1

A large flat surface, finished with black slate or a similar material, that can be written upon with chalk and subsequently erased; a chalkboard.

  • Drawings and pictures are more than mere ornaments in scientific discourse. Blackboard sketches, geological maps, diagrams of molecular structure, astronomical photographs, MRI images, the many varieties of statistical charts and graphs: These pictorial devices are indispensable tools for presenting evidence, for explaining a theory, for telling a story.2012 March 23, Brian Hayes, “Pixels or Perish”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 106:
Derived terms
blackboard bold, blackboard jungle
Related terms
chalkboard, greenboard, whiteboard
Hypernyms
writing board

blackboard

verb

Etymology From black + board, because such surfaces were once typically made of black slate.

1

To use a blackboard to assist in an informal discussion.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.