a·bove·board (?-b?v?bôrd?)adv. & adj. Without deceit or trickery; straightforward.[Originally a gambling term referring to the fact that a gambler whose hands were above the board or gaming table could not engage in trickery, such as changing cards, below the table.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.a?bove?board (??b?v?b?rd, -?bo?rd) adv., adj. without tricks, concealment, or disguise; in the open. [1610?20] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.