Definition of "handboard"
handboard
noun
plural handboards
A board that is held in the hand or attached by a strap, used like a paddle when bodysurfing.
Quotations
In the 1930s, some people were riding small boards, about the size of a kickboard in a swimming pool. One guy came out with a handboard with a strap on it, but it never caught on. — Wally Froiseth. dec 3, 2007. The first handboard contests were held in 1969 by Chuck Shipman, who worked for the City and County of Honolulu as an ocean recreation specialist.
2011, John R. K. Clark, “Traditional Hawaiian Surf Sports”, in Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past, Honolulu, Haw.: University of Hawaiʻi Press, section “Kaha Nalu. Bodysurfing”, page 80
A small hand-painted wooden sign, especially one indicating the direction (and possibly distance) to a particular location.
Quotations
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.
1896, Medical Brief: A Monthly Journal of Scientific Medicine and Surgery, page 702, column 1
Milestones were required to be placed on the side of the road, beginning at the distance of one mile west of the Schuylkill, and extending thence to the borough of Lancaster, on which the distance each stone was from the west bounds of Philadelphia, and handboards telling the distances to the nearest gates and turnpikes.
1901, Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society, page 122
A German botanist gave 'Gandoge' as the locality of an American plant; a package sent by express to 'Sevaber' (an English name), and a letter posted to the town of 'Scur E Quss, Nu Yourck,' arrived safely; and I have seen a handboard directing the traveller to the English-named town of 'Bintgrof'.
2020, S.S Haldeman, Pennsylvania Dutch, page 9
A device for securing, supporting, or guiding the hand; a handrest or splint.
Quotations
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 .
1897, Illinois. Appellate Court, Edwin Burritt Smith, Martin L. Newell, Reports of Cases Decided in the Appellate Courts of the State of Illinois, page 165
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.
1998, Ada Lawrence Plumer, Faye Cosentino, Plumer's Principles and Practice of Intravenous Therapy, page 491
The “Paoloni, Appleyard, and Murrell System” consists of a vertical handboard attached to a horizontal level arm, which is attached to a tensile cord and load cell used to collect force data. Subjects grasp a coronally aligned handboard with the thumb on the side of the handboard nearest their body and the other four digits on the side farthest from their body, ensuring pronation of the forearm.
2017, David C. C Berry, Michael G. Miller, Leisha M. Berry, Athletic and Orthopedic Injury Assessment, page 113
Quotations
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.
1710, John White, Art's Treasury of Rarities and Curious Inventions, page 47
(leatherworking) A hand tool used to apply pressure to skins in order to finish them.
Quotations
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.
1847, William Newton, “Recent Patents”, in The London journal of arts and sciences, page 314
verb
third-person singular simple present handboards, present participle handboarding, simple past and past participle handboarded