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sounding board
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n.
1. Music
a. A thin board forming the upper portion of the resonant chamber in an instrument, such as a violin or piano, and serving to increase resonance.
b. A structure placed behind or over a podium or platform to reflect music or a speaker's voice to an audience. Also called soundboard.
2. A person or group whose reactions to an idea, opinion, or point of view serve as a measure of its effectiveness or acceptability.
3. A device or means serving to spread or popularize an idea or a point of view.
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sounding board

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.