checkerboard

[chek-er-bawrd, -bohrd]

noun

1. a board marked off into 64 squares of two alternating colors, arranged in eight vertical and eight horizontal rows, on which checkers checker or chess is played.

2. a design resembling this.

   The garden was laid out in a checkerboard.

verb (used with object)

1. to arrange in or mark with a checkerboard pattern.

   a wall checkerboarded with black and white tiles.

checkerboard

/ ˈtʃɛkəˌbɔːd /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): draughtboard. a square board divided into 64 squares of alternating colours, used for playing checkers or chess

Word History and Origins

Origin of checkerboard¹

First recorded in 1765–75; checker ¹ + board

Example Sentences

For a restaurant better known for cornbread and checkerboards than market volatility, the whole thing had the air of an identity crisis unfolding in real time.

From Salon

So much so that covering the kitchen tile with blue and red checkerboard linoleum was one of their first dates in 2022, two years before Zaletel, 32, moved in.

From Los Angeles Times

A makeshift DJ booth, assembled from a couple of upended shopping carts and some speakers, is at one edge of the checkerboard in the dimly lighted room, underscoring the general do-it-yourself ethos of Rosales’ aesthetic.

From Los Angeles Times

Powers and his team repeatedly paired a projected checkerboard visual display with a one-second tone.

From Salon

Floors are lined with vibrant green checkerboard patterns and wall-to-wall carpet.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chain 
• grid 
• net 
• organization 
• structure 
• system 
• web