DictionaryboardGetting onto transport
verb

board

To get onto a vehicle or vessel.

Passengers board the bus beside the station entrance.

Etymology

Old English bord could name a plank or a ship’s side. Going aboard meant crossing that side into the vessel, a use later extended to entering other vehicles.

More examples

  • We boarded the ferry just before it left.
  • She has boarded this train many times.
  • They are boarding the plane in small groups.

Forms

board · boards · boarded · boarding

Similar words

embark
More formal, especially for entering a ship or beginning travel.
get on
The ordinary conversational phrase for entering public transportation.