Meanings
- On or in (a means of transportation).
On board his boat were various firearms but not much food.
2 more examples
Even when I am on board the plane, I can never feel secure that my luggage is, too.
There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy. Mail bags, so I understand, are being put on board. Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.
1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC
- idiomaticnot comparableAgreeing or supporting.
Without management on board, the project has little chance of success.
2 more examples
It's a good idea, but let's see if we can get a few more of the management team on board.
The ships' successes made Hitler quite the fan of them, and he supported the idea of more being converted and sent out soon. And so, with the Führer on board, albeit not literally, another six vessels were rapidly placed under conversion.
2021 February 17, Drachinifel, 20:52 from the start, in German Merchant Raiders of WW2 - Gentleman Raiders of the High Seas, archived from the original on 04 Dec 2022
- The stereotypical cry of pirates when boarding a ship for close quarters combat.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbon a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Originally a literal reference to the wooden boards of the deck of a boat or ship.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch aan boord
- aan boordon or in a means of transportation
Finnish kyydissä, vallatkaa laiva
- kyydissäon or in a means of transportation
- vallatkaa laivaTranslations
French à bord de, à l'abordage
- à bord deon or in a means of transportation
- à l'abordageTranslations
German an Bord
- an Bordon or in a means of transportation
Greek εν πλω
- εν πλω (en plo)on or in a means of transportation
Irish ar bord
- ar bordon or in a means of transportation
Italian a bordo, all'arrembaggio
- a bordoon or in a means of transportation
- all'arrembaggioTranslations
Norwegian om bord
- om bordon or in a means of transportation
Polish na pokładzie, na pokład!
- na pokładzieon or in a means of transportation
- na pokład!Translations
Russian на борту́
- на борту́ (na bortú)on or in a means of transportation
Scottish Gaelic air bòrd
- air bòrdon or in a means of transportation
Spanish a bordo
- a bordoon or in a means of transportation
Swedish ombord
- ombordon or in a means of transportation
Yiddish אויפֿן באָרט
- אויפֿן באָרט (oyfn bort)on or in a means of transportation
Cite this entry
on board. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20board
“on board.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20board. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on board,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20board.
Source: on board on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.