snowboard

snowboard — verb

1. to ride on snow for fun or sport with your feet fixed to a wide board, moving do

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to ride on snow for fun or sport with your feet fixed to a wide board, moving downhill by shifting your weight

Example

Asher learned to snowboard during a family trip to Japan last winter.

learned to [sport] — acquiring a skill

Every January, the Sanchez family goes snowboarding in the Alps.

goes [gerund] — activity pattern

Common collocations
  • go snowboarding
  • learn to snowboard
  • try snowboarding
  • snowboard down a slope
Synonyms
  • ski

    similar snow sport but uses two long narrow skis instead of a single wide board; rider faces forward

Grammar Patterns

snowboard (no direct object)

go snowboarding

Usage Note

This verb is intransitive — it never takes a direct object. You snowboard on a slope or go snowboarding, but you cannot *snowboard a mountain. The gerund form snowboarding is very common after go, enjoy, and try.

Common Mistakes

I snowboarded the mountain yesterday.
I went snowboarding on the mountain yesterday.
snowboard is intransitive; for a specific trip, use 'go snowboarding'.

snowboard — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A snowboard, a pair of skis, a surfboard, and a skateboard are all boards used for gliding, but each belongs to a different surface and technique. A snowboard is a single wide board with foot bindings, used for riding down snow-covered slopes while standing sideways — similar in stance to a surfboard on water. A surfboard is longer and designed for riding ocean waves without any bindings. A skateboard is smaller, has wheels, and is used on pavement for tricks and transport. Skis come in a pair (one on each foot) and require a forward-facing stance, making them more like walking on snow than the sideways stance of snowboarding. Choosing between them depends on the surface you ride on and the type of movement you want. For example: 'She rides a snowboard in winter and a surfboard in summer.'

ski ↗surfboardskateboard

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • snowboarding trip
  • snowboard lessons
  • snowboard instructor

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word snowboard is a compound formed from snow (from Old English snāw, meaning frozen water vapour falling from the sky) and board (from Old English bord, meaning a flat piece of wood or plank). The term appeared in the late 20th century as the sport developed in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, combining elements of surfing, skateboarding, and skiing.