springboard

English

Diving springboard

Springboard in gymnastics

Etymology

From spring +‎ board.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

springboard (plural springboards)

1. A board consisting of a flexible, springy, cantilevered platform that propels one into the air, used for diving or gymnastics.
2. (figuratively) Something that acts as a catalyst to begin or accelerate an action or growth.

   The opportunity served a springboard to their success.

   • 1960 March, J. P. Wilson, E. N. C. Haywood, “The route through the Peak - Derby to Manchester: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 148:

     It was the section of the North Midland Railway from Derby to Ambergate which provided the springboard for a scheme that took shape in the early part of 1845 for a route through the Peak to Manchester.

Derived terms

• springboard diving

Translations

flexible diving board

• Bulgarian: трамплин m (tramplin)
• Catalan: trampolí (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 跳板 (zh) (tiàobǎn)

• Czech: skokanské prkno n
• Danish: vippe (da) c
• Dutch: springplank (nl)
• Finnish: ponnahduslauta (fi)
• French: tremplin (fr) m
• Galician: trampolín m
• German: Sprungbrett (de) n
• Greek: εφαλτήριο (el) (efaltírio)

  Ancient: πέτευρον n (péteuron)

• Hebrew: מַקְפֵּצָה (he) f (maqpetzá)
• Hungarian: ugródeszka (hu), trambulin (hu)
• Icelandic: stökkpallur m
• Italian: trampolino (it) m
• Japanese: 飛び板 (とびいた, tobiita), スプリングボード (supuringubōdo)
• Korean: 다이빙대 (ko) (daibingdae), 스프링보드 (seupeuringbodeu)
• Latin: petaurum m
• Maori: kauhua
• Plautdietsch: Schwunkbrat n
• Polish: trampolina (pl)
• Portuguese: trampolim (pt)
• Romanian: trambulină (ro)
• Russian: трампли́н (ru) m (tramplín)
• Spanish: trampolín (es) m, palanca (es) f
• Swedish: svikt (sv) c, trampolin (sv) c
• Welsh: bwrdd plymio m

platform on springs used in gymnastics

• Bulgarian: трамплин m (tramplin)
• Czech: odrazový můstek m
• Danish: springbræt n
• Finnish: ponnahduslauta (fi)
• French: tremplin (fr) m
• Galician: trampolín m
• German: Sprungbrett (de) n
• Greek:

  Ancient: πέτευρον n (péteuron)

• Hungarian: dobbantó (hu)
• Icelandic: stökkpallur m
• Irish: lingchlár m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: springbrett n

  Nynorsk: springbrett n

• Polish: trampolina (pl) f
• Portuguese: trampolim (pt) m
• Romanian: trambulină (ro) f
• Russian: трампли́н (ru) m (tramplín)
• Spanish: trampolín (es) m, palanca (es)
• Swedish: språngbräda (sv) c

figuratively: anything that launches or provides impulse

• Arabic: منطلق m
• Czech: odrazový můstek m
• Danish: springbræt n
• Finnish: ponnahduslauta (fi)
• French: tremplin (fr) m
• German: Sprungbrett (de) n
• Hungarian: ugródeszka (hu)
• Icelandic: stökkpallur m
• Italian: trampolino (it) m, trampolino di lancio m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: springbrett n

  Nynorsk: springbrett n

• Portuguese: trampolim (pt) m
• Russian: трампли́н (ru) m (tramplín), плацда́рм (ru) m (placdárm)
• Spanish: trampolín (es) m
• Swedish: språngbräda (sv) c
• Ukrainian: трамплі́н m (tramplín)

Verb

springboard (third-person singular simple present springboards, present participle springboarding, simple past and past participle springboarded)

1. (transitive) To launch or propel as if from a springboard, especially toward political office.
   • 2007 October 4, Jennifer Steinhauer, “In Ballot Fight, California Gets a Taste of ’08”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Such a change could amount to a seismic shift in the nation’s electoral dynamics, potentially springboarding a Republican into the White House, and the possibility has animated hopeful Republicans and fearful Democrats.