1. a flat board or frame with a hood or canopy, used by some Native American peoples to carry and protect an infant on the mother's back or against her body
Usage: also called a cradle board or baby board; historically used by various Indigenous cultures of North America

Examples

• The Navajo mother secured her infant to the cradleboard with soft leather straps.
• Archaeological evidence shows that cradleboards were used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
• The cradleboard allowed mothers to work while keeping their babies safe and close.
• Many museums display traditional cradleboards as examples of Native American craftsmanship.
• The wooden cradleboard was decorated with beadwork and fringe.
• Infants in cradleboards were protected from the elements by a curved hood.