Word: handboard Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From hand + board. 1. A board that is held in the hand or attached by a strap, used like a paddle when bodysurfing. Example: The usual handboard is made of thin light wood such as plywood, about a foot long and nine inches wide, with a curved front, straight sides, and a sawn-off rear end. Example: "All I see him doing is riding this handboard," says Nellis. 2. A tablet-sized surface for writing or displaying text and images. Example: Having occasion for a writing handboard, such as could be bought in London for 2s. 6d. or less, I was charged 7s. 6d. for one in Montreal. Example: These forms can be fastened to a handboard by means of thumb tacks and some blank pieces of paper for use in keeping tab on various features can be fastened in a bunch by a string and attached to the board. 3. A small hand-painted wooden sign, especially one indicating the direction (and possibly distance) to a particular location. Example: A schoolmaster's etymology is a stupid affair, a handboard at the entrance of a cul-de-sac, or blind alley. Example: I am not one, Mr. Editor, who would discard the knowledge gained by vivisection or physiological medicine; they have their place, but at best can but serve as handboards to guide us on to grander truths, learned clinically. 4. A device for securing, supporting, or guiding the hand; a handrest or splint. Example: The scaffold was reached by a ladder projecting about a foot above the top of the scaffold , and then a handboard , fastened on one side , extended between one and two feet higher than the ladder . Example: A short handboard may be required to limit wrist motion . If restraints are necessary they should be applied around the handboard, not the patient's wrist, as this could cause arterial pressure interference and increase the risk of catheter kinking or dislodgement. 5. A long narrow board with a catch for holding a dart, spear, or harpoon used as a throwing device. Example: If the oar is lost past recovery, they attempt to jerk themselves upwards by striking the water with the handboard of the harpoon, or a knife, or even the palm of the hand; but this experiment rarely succeeds. Example: The weapon is in very general use at Point Barrow , and is always thrown from the boat with a handboard ( to be described below ) . 6. A flat surface with a handle on one side, used by a mason or plasterer; a hawk or mortarboard. Example: Get the handboard and the trowel , each of us got that, Bancroft had one, too, and he lifted the stuff off from the board and give it up to us. Example: This is a small handboard used with a pointing trowel and its purpose is to support small amounts of pointing mortar ( figure 1.31 ) . 7. An artist's palette. Example: Take a small quantity of White, and twice as much Vermillion and Lake, temper these with the flat of a Knife's blade upon your Pallet, or Handboard,, and use it for the deepest Carnation of the Face, adding moreover to a small part of it more white, and reserve that for a ligher Carnation. 8. A washboard. Labels: obsolete Example: If it does, add water in small quantities at a time, until the ley, when put upon the handboard, does not run down from the soap, but appears as it were just starting from the soap. 9. A salver or tray for carrying items such as dishes. Labels: obsolete Example: Lady Caroline again called, "Davison," and Mrs. Davison replying she was coming, took up the handboard, and once more left Mary in darkness. Example: I have sent a waiter, or handboard, japanned with varnish made from this residuum, and the volatile oil above mentioned. 10. A hand tool used to apply pressure to skins in order to finish them. Example: In order to distinguish the ordinary kinds of knitted gloves from those which are formed out of the improved hosiery fabric, the patentee proposes to finish those made under his patent upon a hand-board, similar to that used in the finishing of leather gloves; whereby they will assume a fullness approaching to the form of the human hand, in contradistinction to the flat appearance produced by employing the flat hand-board. Example: Sides or skins finished by folding with grain side in and rubbing the surface together under pressure of an instrument known as a handboard .