A wooden platform or slatted board laid on wet or muddy ground to provide a dry walking surface.
Compound of 'duck' (possibly from the stepping motion one makes, or walking 'duck-like' on the boards) and 'board.' First widely used in World War I trench systems where soldiers needed to walk above waterlogged mud.
During WWI, duckboards literally saved soldiers' lives—standing in muddy trenches for days without them could cause 'trench foot,' a disease that could lead to amputation, so these simple wooden platforms were crucial military equipment.
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