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Meaning & use

a boarder

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ə ˈbɔːdə/
US/ə ˈbɔːrdər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A person who pays to live and eat in someone else's house, or a student who lives at a school during the term.

    Grammar: Countable noun phrase: it needs the article 'a' as here, or 'the', or a plural form 'boarders'.

    Patterns

    • a boarder at a school
    • take in a boarder
    • a boarder in someone's home

    When I was a student, I was a boarder at a school in the countryside.

    The family takes in a boarder to help pay the rent.

    She became a boarder in an elderly couple's home while she studied in the city.

  2. nouncountable

    A person who gets onto a plane, train, ship, or bus.

    Grammar: Used mainly in travel and transport contexts; the plural is 'boarders'.

    Patterns

    • a boarder on a flight
    • the first boarder

    The gate agent called for a boarder who had not yet reached the desk.

    As the last boarder stepped onto the ferry, the crew closed the gate.

Word forms

pluralboarders

Common combinations

a boarder at a school
He was a boarder at a school near the coast for five years.
take in a boarder
They decided to take in a boarder to cover the mortgage.
a paying boarder
The room was rented to a paying boarder.
a boarder in a family home
She lived as a boarder in a family home during her first year.

Synonyms and how they differ

lodger
Very close in British English; 'lodger' often suggests renting a room, while a boarder may also get meals.
roomer
Mainly American; it means someone who rents a room but says nothing about meals.
resident
More general; it can mean anyone living in a place, not only someone who pays for a room.

Word family

board verb
To get on a plane, train, or ship.
boarding noun
The act of getting on a vehicle, or the practice of living at school.
boarding school noun
A school where students live during the term.

Commonly confused: a boarder or border? a boarder or boardroom?

a boarder vs border

A 'border' is a line between countries or the edge of something; a 'boarder' is a person who pays to live somewhere or gets on a vehicle. The spellings differ by one letter.

a boarder vs boardroom

A 'boardroom' is a meeting room for a company's directors, not a person.

Practice

My cousin is ______ at a school in the north of England.

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