borrow

¹

[bor-oh, bawr-oh]

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.

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.

Borrow

²

[bor-oh, bawr-oh]

noun

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

borrow

¹

/ 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

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

/ 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)

Usage

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of borrow¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of borrow¹

Old English borgian ; related to Old High German borgēn to take heed, give security

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing borrow

• beg, borrow, or steal
• on borrowed time

Example Sentences

One reason is that the homeowner is able to use a large amount of borrowed money, which amplifies gains when home prices go up.

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Unbeknown to most, the company raised billions through off-balance-sheet financing, especially through a form of borrowing against money it is owed by customers such as AutoZone.

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The challenge has felled two previous prime ministers over the past year, driving up the country’s borrowing costs and stirring investor worries.

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He’s made enough payments toward the loan throughout the years to cover the initial amount he borrowed, but it’s been buried in decades of mounting interest.

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And I had to borrow a million against my house, OK?

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Related Words

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