billboard
UK[ˈbɪlbɔːd]US[ˈbɪlbɔːrd]
n
a very large board for displaying advertisements, especially by the side of a road.
n
a list of the most popular songs, albums, etc., in a particular week, especially the billboard hot 100.
Morpheme Breakdown
bill
board
bill
document
board
flat piece of wood
Etymology
the word 'billboard' is a transparent compound formed from two english words of germanic origin. 'bill', in its older sense of a written notice or advertisement, derives from the medieval latin 'bulla' for a sealed document, entering english via anglo-norman. 'board' originates from proto-germanic 'burdą', referring to a flat plank or table. the compound literally means a board for posting bills or public notices. its meaning evolved from any such posted surface to specialize in the large outdoor advertising structures seen today, with a secondary, metaphorical use developing in the 20th century for music popularity charts, originally named after the trade publication 'billboard' which posted such lists.
Analysis
Structure: bill (document) + board (flat piece of wood)
bill (middle english, from anglo-norman 'bille', meaning a written list or document; functions as the core semantic element denoting a notice or advertisement). board (old english 'bord', meaning a plank, flat surface, or table; functions as the base or object on which the notice is placed).
Examples
a massive billboard advertising the new movie dominated the skyline.
the song debuted at number one on the billboard chart.
they posted the community announcements on the public billboard in the town square.