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bore

1
[ bawr ]
/ bɔr /
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See synonyms for: bore / bored / boring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), bored, bor·ing.
to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions, etc.: The long speech bored me.
noun
a dull, tiresome, or uncongenial person.
a cause of ennui or petty annoyance: repetitious tasks that are a bore to do.
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Origin of bore

1
First recorded in 1760–70; of uncertain origin

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bore

1. boar, boor, bore 2. board, bored

Other definitions for bore (2 of 4)

bore2
[ bawr ]
/ bɔr /

verb (used with object), bored, bor·ing.
verb (used without object), bored, bor·ing.
noun
a hole made or enlarged by boring.
the inside diameter of a hole, tube, or hollow cylindrical or conical object or device, such as a bushing or bearing, engine cylinder, musical wind instrument, or barrel of a gun.

Origin of bore

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English bor(i)en, Old English borian; cognate with Old High German borōn, German bohren, Old Norse bora, Latin forāre

OTHER WORDS FROM bore

bore·a·ble, bor·a·ble, adjective

Other definitions for bore (3 of 4)

bore3
[ bawr, bohr ]
/ bɔr, boʊr /

noun
an abrupt rise of tidal water moving rapidly inland from the mouth of an estuary.
Also called tidal bore .

Origin of bore

3
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English bare “a wave, billow,” from Old Norse bāra

Other definitions for bore (4 of 4)

bore4
[ bawr, bohr ]
/ bɔr, boʊr /

verb
simple past tense of bear1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bore (1 of 4)

bore1
/ (bɔː) /

verb
noun

Word Origin for bore

Old English borian; related to Old Norse bora, Old High German borōn to bore, Latin forāre to pierce, Greek pharos ploughing, phárunx pharynx

British Dictionary definitions for bore (2 of 4)

bore2
/ (bɔː) /

verb
(tr) to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting
noun
a dull, repetitious, or uninteresting person, activity, or state

Derived forms of bore

bored, adjective

Word Origin for bore

C18: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for bore (3 of 4)

bore3
/ (bɔː) /

noun
a high steep-fronted wave moving up a narrow estuary, caused by the tide

Word Origin for bore

C17: from Old Norse bāra wave, billow

British Dictionary definitions for bore (4 of 4)

bore4
/ (bɔː) /

verb
the past tense of bear 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bore

bore
[ bôr ]

In fluid mechanics, a jump in the level of moving water, generally propagating in the opposite direction to the current. Strong ocean tides can cause bores to propagate up rivers.
  1. The white, shallow portion of a wave after it breaks. The bore carries ocean water onto the beach.
  2. A tidal wave caused by the surge of a flood tide upstream in a narrowing estuary or by colliding tidal currents.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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