neighbor

American  

[ney-ber] / ˈneɪ bər /

especially British, neighbour

noun

1. a person who lives near another.

   My next door neighbor has an orange cat.

2. a person or thing that is near another.

3. one's fellow human being.

   You must be generous toward your less fortunate neighbors.

4. a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward others.

   She's always a neighbor to people in distress.

5. (used as a term of address, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger).

   Tell me, neighbor, which way to town?

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adjective

1. situated or living near another.

   One of our neighbor nations is in need of aid.

verb (used with object)

1. to live or be situated near to; adjoin; border on.

   Germany neighbors Denmark.

2. to place or bring near.

verb (used without object)

1. to live or be situated nearby.

2. to associate with or as if with one's neighbors; be neighborly or friendly (often followed bywith ).

Usage

Spelling tips for neighbor The word neighbor is hard to spell because it is spelled differently from the way it is pronounced [ ney-ber ]. To make it even more confusing, neighbor is the American English spelling of the word. In British English, it is spelled with a u: neighbour. How to spell neighbor: The easiest way to remember how to spell neighbor is with the classic mnemonic device: I before E, except after C, except when it's EIGH [ ey ], as in neighbor or weigh.

Other Word Forms

• neighborless adjective

Etymology

Origin of neighbor

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English neahgebūr, nēahbūr ( nēah nigh + (ge)būr “farmer”; Boer, boor ); akin to Dutch nabuur, German Nachbar, Old Norse nābūi

Example Sentences

The study demonstrated how intersectin helps maintain synaptic vesicles in a specific location until they are ready to be released and activate a neighboring neuron.

From Science Daily

That includes caregivers, neighbors or even nursing homes.

From MarketWatch

She is still haunted, she said, by the instant before she left when she saw her own terror reflected in her neighbor’s eyes, and wondered if they would ever see each other again.

From The Wall Street Journal

She also headlined the NFL’s halftime show in its Brazilian debut in September, an homage to her South American neighbor’s rhythms and plumage bookended by the United States’ flagship expression of sporting and economic muscle.

From Los Angeles Times

Even his cat, Boo, is terrified of their downstairs neighbor, he added.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acquaintance
• friend