borrow

¹ American  

[bor-oh, bawr-oh] / ˈbɒr oʊ, ˈbɔr oʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent.

   Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower.

2. to use, appropriate, or introduce from another source or from a foreign source.

   to borrow an idea from the opposition;

   to borrow a word from French.

   Synonyms:

   plagiarize, pirate, copy, get, take, acquire

3. Arithmetic. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and add to the next lower.

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verb (used without object)

1. to borrow something.

   Don't borrow unless you intend to repay.

2. Nautical.

   1. to sail close to the wind; luff.

   2. to sail close to the shore.

3. Golf. to putt on other than a direct line from the lie of the ball to the hole, to compensate for the incline or roll of the green.

idioms

1. borrow trouble, to do something that is unnecessary and may cause future harm or inconvenience.

Borrow ² American  

[bor-oh, bawr-oh] / ˈbɒr oʊ, ˈbɔr oʊ /

noun

1. George, 1803–81, English traveler, writer, and student of languages, especially Romani.

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borrow ¹ British  

/ ˈbɒrəʊ /

verb

1. to obtain or receive (something, such as money) on loan for temporary use, intending to give it, or something equivalent or identical, back to the lender

2. to adopt (ideas, words, etc) from another source; appropriate

3. not_standard to lend

4. golf to putt the ball uphill of the direct path to the hole

5. (intr) golf (of a ball) to deviate from a straight path because of the slope of the ground

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noun

1. golf a deviation of a ball from a straight path because of the slope of the ground

   a left borrow

2. material dug from a borrow pit to provide fill at another

3. 1. living an unexpected extension of life

   2. close to death

Borrow ² British  

/ ˈbɒrəʊ /

noun

1. George ( Henry ). 1803–81, English traveller and writer. His best-known works are the semiautobiographical novels of Gypsy life and language, Lavengro (1851) and its sequel The Romany Rye (1857)

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borrow More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing borrow

• beg, borrow, or steal
• on borrowed time

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Usage

The use of off after borrow was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable in informal contexts

Other Word Forms

• Borrovian adjective
• borrowable adjective
• borrower noun
• nonborrowed adjective
• nonborrower noun
• overborrow verb
• unborrowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of borrow

First recorded before 900; Middle English borowen, Old English borgian “to borrow, lend,” verb derivative of borg “a pledge”; cognate with Dutch borg “a pledge,” borgen “to charge, give credit,” German Borg “credit,” borgen “to take on credit”

Example Sentences

The real catalyst behind the rotation trade was a spike in borrowing costs during the government shutdown last fall, Kizemchuk said.

From MarketWatch

The 16 stocks listed below earned their spot because their shares are expensive to borrow in the share-lending market.

From MarketWatch

The harsh reality: Your kids can borrow money for a house.

From MarketWatch

NIM improvement is likely due to higher loan pricing and more stable borrowing costs in Singapore, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

In 2025, the German parliament voted to change the country's constitution so that strict constraints on borrowing could be lifted to fund an expanded defence budget.

From BBC

Related Words

• acquire
• adopt
• assume
• copy
• obtain
• steal
• use