bourn

¹

or bourne

[ bawrn, bohrn ]

noun

, Scot. and North England.

1. burn ².

bourn

²

[ bawrn, bohrn, boorn ]

noun

, Archaic.

1. a bound; limit.
2. destination; goal.
3. realm; domain.

bourn

¹

/ bɔːn /

noun

1. a destination; goal
2. a boundary

bourn

²

/ bɔːn /

noun

1. See burn
   a stream, esp an intermittent one in chalk areas Compare burn 2

Other Words From

• bournless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bourn¹

1515–25; earlier borne < Middle French, Old French, originally a Picard form of bodne; bound ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of bourn¹

C16: from Old French borne ; see bound ³

Origin of bourn²

C16: from Old French bodne limit; see bound ³

Example Sentences

Now, it is pretty widely known that no uglier river oozes down to its bourn in the sea through unwholesome banks of low mud.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Bourn was succeeded by the Rev. John Hoyle, who was minister for seventeen years.

From Project Gutenberg

But Du Meresq would be sucked down in the blue lake, and travel to that bourn alone.

From Project Gutenberg

Milton in Comus uses bosky bourn in the same sense perhaps with Shakespeare.

From Project Gutenberg

Shakespeare: "That undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ambition
• aspiration
• desire
• determination
• direction
• function
• goal
• idea
• intent
• objective
• plan
• principle
• project
• reason
• scheme
• scope
• view
• wish