Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A board or plank with cleats for steps, used for passing into or out of a ship or boat. Also called gang-plank.
  • noun A plank placed within or without the bulwarks of a vessel's waist for sentinels to walk or stand on.
  • noun The boards ending the hammock-nettings at either side of the entrance from the accommodation-ladder to the deck.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a temporary bridge for getting on and off a vessel at dockside.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A board or plank used as a temporary footbridge between a ship and a dockside or any gap such as scaffolding.
  • noun A board or plank placed within or without the bulwarks of a vessel's waist for lookouts to walk or stand on.
  • noun The boards ending the hammock-nettings at either side of the entrance from the accommodation-ladder to the deck.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a temporary bridge for getting on and off a vessel at dockside

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From gang (“way, path, course of travel”) +‎ board (“plank”)

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Examples

  • He walked back across the gangboard to the quay and the waiting stranger.

    Archive 2010-06-01 Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • As Quirk walked back across the gangboard, he stirred and sat up.

    Archive 2010-06-01 Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • As Quirk walked back across the gangboard, he stirred and sat up.

    A Sorcerous Mist Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • McBride stood at his customary station next to the tiller, watching over the boat, one eye always on the short gangboard that crossed to the quay.

    A Sorcerous Mist Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • McBride stood at his customary station next to the tiller, watching over the boat, one eye always on the short gangboard that crossed to the quay.

    Archive 2010-06-01 Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • He walked back across the gangboard to the quay and the waiting stranger.

    A Sorcerous Mist Megan Arkenberg 2010

  • SANTAYANA Tunan WERE three yellow "Critical" signals lit on the long gangboard when Helmuth passed through the gang deck on the, way back to duty.

    Cities In Flight Blish, James 1957

  • But the sad eyed Thorgils paid no heed to the question, but only crept nearer to the end of the gangboard, and stood there earnestly watching.

    Olaf the Glorious A Story of the Viking Age Robert Leighton

  • In a very few minutes the bow of the boat was run up on the beach, the gangboard put out, and then the officer stepped ashore.

    The Beautiful Wretch; The Pupil of Aurelius; and The Four Macnicols William Black 1869

  • Our vessel ran its nose boldly into the shore; a wide gangboard was thrown to the foot of the shoot, making a complete connection with our lower deck, where the busy hands had already constructed a species of barricade of cotton-bales to receive the shock of their coming brother bale.

    Loading Cotton on the Alabama River 1861

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