Forms: 6–7 boorder, 6 bourder, Sc. buirdir, 7 border, 7– boarder. [f. BOARD v. + -ER1.]
1. One who boards, or has his food, or food and lodging, at the house of another for compensation; one who lives in a boarding-house or with a family as one of its members, at a fixed rate. Spec. a boy who boards and lodges at a school, as distinguished from the day-boy who comes and goes daily, and the day-boarder who remains at school for dinner, but goes home at night.
1530. Palsgr., 199/2. Boorder that gothe to borde, commensal.
1576. Newton, trans. Lemnie’s Complex. (1633), 43. Some Schoole-masters … pinch their poore Pupils and Boorders by the belly.
1620. R. Seton, Hist. M. & S. Rep. Eglinton Papers (1885), No. 128. 45. Hes preceis price of his buirdirs sitting at tabill is tuo hunder merk.
1740. J. Clarke, Educ. Youth, 190. A Boarding-school, where none but Boarders are received.
1882. J. Hawthorne, Fort. Fool, I. xiv. This … woman … did not pretend to know who those boarders of hers really were.
2. One who boards (an enemy’s) ship.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), F iij b. If the boarder is repulsed.
1797. Nelson, in A. Duncan, Life (1806), 41. Calling for the boarders, [I] ordered them to board.
1862. Thornbury, Turner, I. 337. The French … closing their lower-deck port, for fear of the boarders.
3. One who puts the boards on books.
1882. Daily News, 28 Dec., 5/2. ‘Boarders,’ or they who ‘board’ books, stitchers, and other toilers.
