room and board
Room and board (noun) means a place to sleep and meals provided together, usually as part of a fee or as payment for work. Example: “Room and board comes to eleven thousand dollars a year on top of tuition.”
How to use room and board
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomewhere to sleep and food to eat, included in the deal.
Chiefly North American, and standard in US college billing. British English is more likely to say full board, board and lodging, or simply accommodation and meals.
Board on its own already means the meals — 'room and board' is not repeating itself.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ comes to eleven thousand dollars a year on top of tuition.
Etymology
Room in the sense of lodging, plus board meaning meals — from the old use of board for a dining table, as in boarding house.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for room and board
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between room and board and rent?
Rent buys the use of the space only; you feed yourself. Room and board bundles the accommodation with meals, which is why it is the standard arrangement for university halls, live-in staff and host families.
What does board mean in room and board?
Board means food — historically the table you ate at. The same sense survives in boarding school, boarding house, and full board or half board at a hotel.
What is the difference between full board and half board?
Full board covers all three meals a day. Half board covers breakfast and one other meal, normally dinner, leaving you to sort out lunch yourself. Both terms are more common in Britain and Europe than room and board.
What is the meaning of room and board?
"room and board" (noun) means a place to sleep and meals provided together, usually as part of a fee or as payment for work.