A narrow portable bridge or walkway used to board or exit a ship, often placed between a ship and a dock or another vessel.
Compound word from gang (a passage or course) + board (a plank). The term developed in nautical contexts, where a specialized vocabulary emerged for ships and maritime equipment.
Before modern ships had ramps, gangboards were absolutely essential—sailors literally depended on these narrow wooden planks to get on and off their vessels, even in rough seas!
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