borne

[ bawrn, bohrn ]

/ bɔrn, boʊrn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR borne ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

a past participle of bear¹.

RELATED WORDS

produced, narrow, rode

Nearby words

Can be confusedborn borne (see usage note at bear¹)

Usage note

See bear¹.

Definition for borne (2 of 4)

borne

[ bohrn, bawrn ]

/ boʊrn, bɔrn /

noun

a circular sofa having a conical or cylindrical back piece at the center.

Origin of borne

< French: pillar; see bourn²

Definition for borne (3 of 4)

bear

[ bair ]

/ bɛər /

verb (used with object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.

to hold up; support: to bear the weight of the roof.

to hold or remain firm under (a load): The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.

to bring forth (young); give birth to: to bear a child.

to produce by natural growth: a tree that bears fruit.

to hold up under; be capable of: His claim doesn't bear close examination.

to press or push against: The crowd was borne back by the police.

to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.): to bear oneself erectly.

to conduct (oneself): to bear oneself bravely.

to suffer; endure; undergo: to bear the blame.

to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified): I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.

to be fit for or worthy of: It doesn't bear repeating.

to carry; bring: to bear gifts.

to carry in the mind or heart: to bear love; to bear malice.

to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).

to render; afford; give: to bear witness; to bear testimony.

to lead; guide; take: They bore him home.

to have and be entitled to: to bear title.

to exhibit; show: to bear a resemblance.

to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear responsibility; to bear the cost.

to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively: the relation that price bears to profit.

to possess, as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear traces; to bear an inscription.

to have and use; exercise: to bear authority; to bear sway.

verb (used without object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.

to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear west; to bear left at the fork in the road.

to be located or situated: The lighthouse bears due north.

to bring forth young or fruit: Next year the tree will bear.

Verb Phrases

bear down,

to press or weigh down.
to strive harder; intensify one's efforts: We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship: The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.

bear down on/upon,

to press or weigh down on.
to strive toward.
to approach something rapidly.
Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward: The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.

bear off,

Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
Nautical. to steer away.
Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.

bear on/upon, to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to: This information may bear on the case.

bear out, to substantiate; confirm: The facts bear me out.

bear up, to endure; face hardship bravely: It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.

bear with, to be patient or forbearing with: Please bear with me until I finish the story.

Origin of bear

before 900; Middle English beren, Old English beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beran, Dutch baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan, German (ge)bären, Russian berët (he) takes, Albanian bie, Tocharian pär-, Phrygian ab-beret (he) brings, Latin ferre, Old Irish berid (he) carries, Armenian berem, Greek phérein, Sanskrit bhárati, Avestan baraiti; < Indo-European *bher- (see -fer, -phore)

SYNONYMS FOR bear

1 uphold, sustain.

4 yield.

6 thrust, drive, force.

10 brook, abide, suffer.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bear ON THESAURUS.COM

Synonym study

10. Bear, stand, endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. Bear and stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding: to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss. Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time: to endure torture.

Usage note

Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1 . Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.

Definition for borne (4 of 4)

bear

[ bair ]

/ bɛər /

noun, plural bears, (especially collectively) bear.

any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails.

any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.

a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.

a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).

Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc.: a bear for physics.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.

Informal. a player at cards who rarely bluffs.

(initial capital letter) Russia.

adjective

having to do with or marked by declining prices, as of stocks: bear market.

verb (used with object), beared, bear·ing.

Stock Exchange. to force prices down in (a market, stock, etc.).

Origin of bear

before 1000; Middle English be(a)re, beor(e), Old English bera; cognate with Frisian bār, Dutch beer, Old High German bero (German Bär); < Germanic *beran- literally, the brown one; akin to Old Norse bjǫrn, bersi; compare Lithuanian bė́ras brown. Cf. bruin

Related formsbear·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for borne

The most egregious uses of lethal force have been borne by people with intellectual disabilities and children.
Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls|Emily Shire|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Graffiti was borne out of the South Bronx streets as one of the key pillars of the hip-hop movement.
Catch Him If You Can: Reliving Banksy’s New York Invasion|Alex Suskind|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No city has borne a greater share of pain from the fracturing of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel than Héctor's beloved Acapulco.
Trading Dime Bags for Salvador Dali|Jason McGahan|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The year was 2006 and Allen, like her fellow UK countrymen Arctic Monkeys, was borne in the freaky fires of MySpace.
‘Sheezus’ Talks: Lily Allen on Her New Album, Lena Dunham, and ‘Game of Thrones’|Marlow Stern|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Ours was an amicable split, borne out of practical necessity.
My Therapist Dumped Me|Lizzie Crocker|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1826 a building was erected for the school by the society, which has borne the name of Divinity Hall.
Unitarianism in America|George Willis Cooke
I've lived and borne my lot these eight or nine long years, and can bear it longer if need be.
Campaigning with Crook and Stories of Army Life|Charles King
Her father's horse, that had borne him so many years, was feeding in the enclosure.
Delusion, or The Witch of New England|Eliza Buckminster Lee
To such butchery they were to be borne along by the currents of action and passionate faith!
Above the Battle|Romain Rolland
He has borne with me now for two years; never been hard upon me; always been at my service when I wanted to talk with him.
Loss and Gain|John Henry Newman

British Dictionary definitions for borne (1 of 4)

borne

/ (bɔːn) /

verb

for all active uses of the verb, the past participle of bear 1

for all passive uses of the verb except sense 4 unless followed by by, the past participle of bear 1

be borne in on or be borne in upon (of a fact) to be realized by (someone)it was borne in on us how close we had been to disaster

British Dictionary definitions for borne (2 of 4)

Bear

/ (bɛə) /

noun the Bear

the English name for Ursa Major, Ursa Minor

an informal name for Russia

British Dictionary definitions for borne (3 of 4)

bear

/ (bɛə) /

verb bears, bearing, bore or borne (mainly tr)

to support or hold up; sustain

to bring or conveyto bear gifts

to take, accept, or assume the responsibility ofto bear an expense

(past participle born in passive use except when foll by by) to give birth toto bear children

(also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growthto bear fruit

to tolerate or endureshe couldn't bear him

to admit of; sustainhis story does not bear scrutiny

to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelingsto bear a grudge; I'll bear that idea in mind

to show or be marked withhe still bears the scars

to transmit or spreadto bear gossip

to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness)

to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc)she bore her head high

to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)his account bears no relation to the facts

(intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified directionthe way bears east

to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title)

bear a hand to give assistance

bring to bear to bring into operation or effecthe brought his knowledge to bear on the situation

Word Origin for bear

Old English beran; related to Old Norse bera, Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries

British Dictionary definitions for borne (4 of 4)

bear

/ (bɛə) /

noun plural bears or bear

any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae : order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong clawsSee also black bear, brown bear, polar bear Related adjective: ursine

any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear

a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person

a teddy bear

stock exchange

a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
(as modifier)a bear market Compare bull 1 (def. 5)

verb bears, bearing or beared

(tr) to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling

Word Origin for bear

Old English bera; related to Old Norse bjorn, Old High German bero

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

Word Origin and History for borne (1 of 3)

borne

past participle of bear (v.).

Word Origin and History for borne (1 of 3)

bear

Old English beran "to bear, bring; bring forth, produce; to endure, sustain; to wear" (class IV strong verb; past tense bær, past participle boren), from Proto-Germanic *beranan (cf. Old Saxon beran, Old Frisian bera, Old High German beran, German gebären, Old Norse bera, Gothic bairan "to carry, bear, give birth to"), from PIE root *bher- (1) meaning both "give birth" (though only English and German strongly retain this sense, and Russian has beremennaya "pregnant") and "carry a burden, bring" (see infer).

Ball bearings "bear" the friction. Many senses are from notion of "move onward by pressure." Old English past tense bær became Middle English bare; alternative bore began to appear c.1400, but bare remained the literary form till after 1600. Past participle distinction of borne for "carried" and born for "given birth" is from late 18c. To bear (something) in mind is from 1530s.

Word Origin and History for borne (2 of 3)

bear

Old English bera "bear," from Proto-Germanic *beron, literally "the brown (one)" (cf. Old Norse björn, Middle Dutch bere, Dutch beer, Old High German bero, German Bär), from PIE *bher- (3) "bright, brown" (see brown (adj.)).

Greek arktos and Latin ursus retain the PIE root word for "bear" (*rtko; see Arctic), but it is believed to have been ritually replaced in the northern branches because of hunters' taboo on names of wild animals (cf. the Irish equivalent "the good calf," Welsh "honey-pig," Lithuanian "the licker," Russian medved "honey-eater"). Others connect the Germanic word with Latin ferus "wild," as if it meant "the wild animal (par excellence) of the northern woods."

Symbolic of Russia since 1794. Used of uncouth persons since 1570s. Stock market meaning "speculator for a fall" is 1709 shortening of bearskin jobber (from the proverb sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear); i.e. "one who sells stock for future delivery, expecting that meanwhile prices will fall." Paired with bull from c.1720. Bear claw as a type of large pastry is from 1942, originally chiefly western U.S.

Idioms and Phrases with borne

bear

In addition to the idioms beginning with bear

bear a grudge
bear down
beard the lion
bear fruit
bear in mind
bear one's cross
bear out
bear the brunt
bear up
bear with

also see:

bring to bear
cross as a bear
cross to bear
grin and bear it
loaded for bear

borne

verb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Usage note

Definition for borne (2 of 4)

borne

noun

Origin of borne

Definition for borne (3 of 4)

bear

verb (used with object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.

verb (used without object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of bear

Synonym study

Usage note

Definition for borne (4 of 4)

bear

noun, plural bears, (especially collectively) bear.

adjective

verb (used with object), beared, bear·ing.

Origin of bear

Examples from the Web for borne

British Dictionary definitions for borne (1 of 4)

borne

verb

British Dictionary definitions for borne (2 of 4)

Bear

noun the Bear

British Dictionary definitions for borne (3 of 4)

bear

verb bears, bearing, bore or borne (mainly tr)

Word Origin for bear

British Dictionary definitions for borne (4 of 4)

bear

noun plural bears or bear

verb bears, bearing or beared

Word Origin for bear

Word Origin and History for borne (1 of 3)

borne

Word Origin and History for borne (1 of 3)

bear

Word Origin and History for borne (2 of 3)

bear

Idioms and Phrases with borne

bear