board
UK[bɔːd]US[bɔːrd]
n
A long, thin, flat piece of wood or other hard material, used for floors or other building purposes.
n
A group of people constituted as the decision-making body of an organization.
v
To get on or into a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle.
v
To live and receive regular meals in someone's house in return for payment.
Etymology
The word 'board' originates from the Old English 'bord', meaning a plank, shield, or table, which itself derives from the Proto-Germanic 'burdam'. This Germanic root is connected to the idea of a flat surface or a cut piece of wood. The semantic journey is a fascinating example of metonymy: from the physical wooden plank, the meaning extended to the table made from such planks. From the table, it expanded to the food served upon it (as in 'room and board') and to the group of people who met around it for official discussions (as in 'board of directors'). The verb senses, such as to board a ship, evolved from the notion of stepping onto the wooden deck or side of the vessel.
Analysis
The word 'board' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as both a noun and a verb, with its core meanings relating to a flat piece of wood and the concepts of providing or receiving food and lodging, which historically occurred around a wooden table.
Examples
The floor was made of solid oak boards.
The board of trustees will meet next Tuesday.
We boarded the train just as the doors were closing.