Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

On \On\, prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D. aan,
   OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana, Russ.
   na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana.
   [root]195. Cf. {A-}, 1, {Ana-}, {Anon}.]
   The general signification of on is situation, motion, or
   condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:

   1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a
      thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact
      with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which
      stands on the floor of a house on an island.

            I stood on the bridge at midnight.    --Longfellow.

   2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the
      motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of
      another; as, rain falls on the earth.

            Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
                                                  --Matt. xxi.
                                                  44.

   3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the
      surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by
      means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence,
      figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an
      impression on the mind.

   4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place,
      or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the
      fleet is on the American coast.

   5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or
      succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on
      mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. --Shak.

   6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as,
      to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence,
      indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will
      promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse.

   7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain
      from labor. See {At} (synonym).

   8. At the time of, conveying some notion of cause or motive;
      as, on public occasions, the officers appear in full dress
      or uniform. Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on
      the ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded.

   9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as,
      have pity or compassion on him.

   10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. ``Hence, on thy
       life.'' --Dryden.

   11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or
       engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he
       affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.

   12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation,
       or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all
       the blame; a curse on him.

             His blood be on us and on our children. --Matt.
                                                  xxvii. 25.

   13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect
       punctuality; a satire on society.

   14. Of. [Obs.] ``Be not jealous on me.'' --Shak.

             Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the
             reason prisoner?                     --Shak.

   Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older
         writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate
         speech.

   15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three
       officers are on duty; on a journey.

   16. In the service of; connected with; of the number of; as,
       he is on a newspaper; on a committee.

   Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some
         applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore
         to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.

   {On a bowline}. (Naut.) Same as {Closehauled}.

   {On a wind}, or {On the wind} (Naut.), sailing closehauled.
      

   {On a sudden}. See under {Sudden}.

   {On board}, {On draught}, {On fire}, etc. See under {Board},
      {Draught}, {Fire}, etc.

   {On it}, {On't}, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Shak.

   {On shore}, on land; to the shore.

   {On the road}, {On the way}, {On the wing}, etc. See under
      {Road}, {Way}, etc.

   {On to}, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word,
      onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be
      regarded in analogy with into.

            They have added the -en plural form on to an elder
            plural.                               --Earle.

            We see the strength of the new movement in the new
            class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the
            stage.                                --J. R. Green.

Board \Board\, n. [OE. bord, AS. bord board, shipboard; akin to
   bred plank, Icel. bor? board, side of a ship, Goth.
   f?tu-baurd]/> footstool, D. bord board, G. brett, bort. See
   def. 8. [root]92.]
   1. A piece of timber sawed thin, and of considerable length
      and breadth as compared with the thickness, -- used for
      building, etc.

   Note: When sawed thick, as over one and a half or two inches,
         it is usually called a plank.

   2. A table to put food upon.

   Note: The term board answers to the modern table, but it was
         often movable, and placed on trestles. --Halliwell.

               Fruit of all kinds . . . She gathers, tribute
               large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing
               hand.                              --Milton.

   3. Hence: What is served on a table as food; stated meals;
      provision; entertainment; -- usually as furnished for pay;
      as, to work for one's board; the price of board.

   4. A table at which a council or court is held. Hence: A
      council, convened for business, or any authorized assembly
      or meeting, public or private; a number of persons
      appointed or elected to sit in council for the management
      or direction of some public or private business or trust;
      as, the Board of Admiralty; a board of trade; a board of
      directors, trustees, commissioners, etc.

            Both better acquainted with affairs than any other
            who sat then at that board.           --Clarendon.

            We may judge from their letters to the board.
                                                  --Porteus.

   5. A square or oblong piece of thin wood or other material
      used for some special purpose, as, a molding board; a
      board or surface painted or arranged for a game; as, a
      chessboard; a backgammon board.

   6. Paper made thick and stiff like a board, for book covers,
      etc.; pasteboard; as, to bind a book in boards.

   7. pl. The stage in a theater; as, to go upon the boards, to
      enter upon the theatrical profession.

   8. [In this use originally perh. a different word meaning
      border, margin; cf. D. boord, G. bord, shipboard, and G.
      borte trimming; also F. bord (fr. G.) the side of a ship.
      Cf. {Border}.] The border or side of anything. (Naut.)
      (a) The side of a ship. ``Now board to board the rival
          vessels row.'' --Dryden. See {On board}, below.
      (b) The stretch which a ship makes in one tack.

   Note: Board is much used adjectively or as the last part of a
         compound; as, fir board, clapboard, floor board,
         shipboard, sideboard, ironing board, chessboard,
         cardboard, pasteboard, seaboard; board measure.

   {The American Board}, a shortened form of ``The American
      Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions'' (the foreign
      missionary society of the American Congregational
      churches).

   {Bed and board}. See under {Bed}.

   {Board and board} (Naut.), side by side.

   {Board of control}, six privy councilors formerly appointed
      to superintend the affairs of the British East Indies.
      --Stormonth.

   {Board rule}, a figured scale for finding without calculation
      the number of square feet in a board. --Haldeman.

   {Board of trade}, in England, a committee of the privy
      council appointed to superintend matters relating to
      trade. In the United States, a body of men appointed for
      the advancement and protection of their business
      interests; a chamber of commerce.

   {Board wages}.
      (a) Food and lodging supplied as compensation for
          services; as, to work hard, and get only board wages.
      (b) Money wages which are barely sufficient to buy food
          and lodging.
      (c) A separate or special allowance of wages for the
          procurement of food, or food and lodging. --Dryden.

   {By the board}, over the board, or side. ``The mast went by
      the board.'' --Totten. Hence (Fig.),

   {To go by the board}, to suffer complete destruction or
      overthrow.

   {To enter on the boards}, to have one's name inscribed on a
      board or tablet in a college as a student. [Cambridge,
      England.] ``Having been entered on the boards of Trinity
      college.'' --Hallam.

   {To make a good board} (Naut.), to sail in a straight line
      when close-hauled; to lose little to leeward.

   {To make short boards}, to tack frequently.

   {On board}.
      (a) On shipboard; in a ship or a boat; on board of; as, I
          came on board early; to be on board ship.
      (b) In or into a railway car or train. [Colloq. U. S.]

   {Returning board}, a board empowered to canvass and make an
      official statement of the votes cast at an election.
      [U.S.]