A board consisting of a flexible, springy, cantilevered platform that propels one into the air, used for diving or gymnastics.
2
Figuratively Something that acts as a catalyst to begin or accelerate an action or growth.
The opportunity acted as a springboard for their success.
It was the section of the North Midland Railway from Derby to Ambergate which provided the springboard for a scheme that took shape in the early part of 1845 for a route through the Peak to Manchester.1960 March, J. P. Wilson, E. N. C. Haywood, “The route through the Peak - Derby to Manchester: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 148:
To launch or propel as if from a springboard, especially toward political office.
Such a change could amount to a seismic shift in the nation’s electoral dynamics, potentially springboarding a Republican into the White House, and the possibility has animated hopeful Republicans and fearful Democrats.2007 October 4, Jennifer Steinhauer, “In Ballot Fight, California Gets a Taste of ’08”, in New York Times: