border
noun
the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
Showing results for border.
Search instead for
byorder.
border
American
[bawr-der]
/ ˈbɔr dər /
noun
-
borders
plural
-
the part or edge of a surface or area that forms its outer boundary.
-
the line, limit, or delimiting geographic feature that separates one country, state, province, etc., from another: The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.
You cannot cross the border without a visa.
The largest lake within the borders of Canada is Great Bear Lake.
-
the district or region that lies along the boundary line of another.
-
the frontier of civilization.
-
the border,
-
the border between the United States and Mexico, especially along the Rio Grande.
-
(in the British Isles) the region along the boundary between England and Scotland.
-
-
an ornamental strip or design around the edge of a printed page, a drawing, etc.
-
an ornamental design or piece of ornamental trimming around the edge of a fabric, rug, garment, article of furniture, etc.
-
Horticulture.
-
a long, narrow bed planted with flowers, shrubs, or trees.
-
a strip of ground in which plants are grown, enclosing an area in a garden or running along the edge of a walk or driveway.
-
the plants growing in such a strip.
a border of tulips along the path.
-
-
Theater.
-
a narrow curtain or strip of painted canvas hung above the stage, masking the flies and lighting units, and forming the top of the stage set.
-
verb (used with object)
-
borders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bordered,
past participle, past
-
bordering
present participle
-
to make a border around; adorn with a border.
-
to form a border or boundary to.
-
to lie on the border of; adjoin.
verb (used without object)
-
borders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
bordered,
past participle, past
-
bordering
present participle
-
to form or constitute a border; be next to.
California borders on the Pacific Ocean.
-
to approach closely in character; verge.
The situation borders on tragedy.
border
1
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
a band or margin around or along the edge of something
-
the dividing line or frontier between political or geographic regions
-
-
a region straddling such a boundary
-
( as modifier )
border country
-
-
-
a design or ornamental strip around the edge or rim of something, such as a printed page or dinner plate
-
( as modifier )
a border illustration
-
-
a long narrow strip of ground planted with flowers, shrubs, trees, etc, that skirts a path or wall or surrounds a lawn or other area
a herbaceous border
verb
-
(tr) to decorate or provide with a border
-
-
to be adjacent (to); lie along the boundary (of)
his land borders on mine
-
to be nearly the same (as); verge (on)
his stupidity borders on madness
-
Border
2
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
-
(often plural) the area straddling the border between England and Scotland
-
the area straddling the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
-
the region in S South Africa around East London
Border
3
British
/ ˈbɔːdə /
noun
Usage
What does border mean? A border is the outer edge of a surface or image that marks its boundary in reference to others, such as a border you draw around a picture. A border is also a line that acts as a boundary between two or more geographic areas, whether it’s small areas, like between neighbors on the same street, or large areas, like between countries. To border often means to create a border, as on a picture. To border can also mean to form a border or to be next to one, as in Maine borders New Hampshire to the west and south and Canada to the north and east. Example: The border around the image is quite interesting, but I don’t think it fits the piece.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
bordersimple
-
borderssimple
-
have borderedperfect
-
has borderedperfect
-
am borderingprogressive
-
are borderingprogressive
-
is borderingprogressive
-
have been borderingperfect progressive
-
has been borderingperfect progressive
Past
-
borderedsimple
-
had borderedperfect
-
was borderingprogressive
-
were borderingprogressive
-
had been borderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of border
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English bordure, from Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to bord(er) “to border” (derivative of bord “ship's side, edge,” from Germanic; see board) + -ure noun suffix; see -ure
Explanation
When you cross a border from one country into another, you'll need to show your identification papers and maybe a visa to the border patrol officials. A border separates one thing from another, most famously countries. Sometimes neighboring countries have border disputes, if they don't think the lines were drawn fairly or if they don't get along. Borders can also be less official. You might want to plant a border of cabbages along your front walk, or you could sew a border of sequins along the edge of your collar. But you'd have to go easy on the sequins, as too many would "border on the garish."
Vocabulary lists containing border
"The Civil Rights Movement"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The United States
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Helicopters, dog units and members of the public began scouring the area, close to the River Stour on the Suffolk-Essex border.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
She says she would expand intelligence-sharing with Washington, work with U.S. agencies and the Coast Guard against drug trafficking and coordinate with Colombia to dismantle criminal groups on the border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Helicopters, dog units and members of the public had been scouring the area, close to the River Stour on the Suffolk-Essex border.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Experts say that in addition to airports and formal cargo routes, the land border between Myanmar and India's northeast is a key trafficking route.
From Barron's
The Allies were just as convinced that Allied troops could achieve a breakthrough in the west, attacking enemy positions and driving the Germans back across their own border.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Anna Turley, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, described Atak as an "evil criminal".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as and Customs and Border Protection, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of Cincinnati identified roughly 5,000 shipments of unapproved peptides, including retatrutide, shipped through large cartons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
ICE’s creation seemed redundant at the time; we already had Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Customs Service and the Border Patrol, which were combined into the Customs and Border Protection.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
El Tirindaro has studied the movements of the Border Patrol so long, says fellow patero Juan Barajas Soto, that he knows what each agent does every eight hours, during the shift change.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
When the modern state of Israel was formed in 1948, much of the Arab population that remained inside its borders continued to identify as or with Palestinians.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Iran’s land borders were a mess before these latest closures, though.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Saudi Arabia had issued brief alerts on Tuesday over possible attacks in Mecca and across swathes of the kingdom's south, which borders Yemen.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
In practice, Canadian goods, services and workers for those industries could eventually move frictionlessly between Europe and America’s northern neighbor, blurring the lines of where the EU’s economic borders end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
"We are a state," he continued, "which stands with open borders at the center of the competition between two world systems."
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Our campsite bordered the Fefine, a large river that flows even in the dry season.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
The proposal would create new traffic patterns for ships transiting the strait, which is bordered by Iran on the northern shore and Oman on the southern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The action bordered on farce - even Joe Root attempted a reverse-scoop - yet there was little Duckett could do about a spitter from Sears he fended to first slip.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Three weeks into the semester, Paul dropped out, and my father, convinced that his son's lawn-mowing skills bordered on genius, set him up in the landscaping business.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
It’s going to raise costs particularly in states that are either bordering or in close proximity to Canada and rely on trade with it.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
He gained a reputation for courage bordering on recklessness, ever-present in frontline trenches and personally leading expeditions to clear mines.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Critics say the measures have further strengthened Tokayev's power in Kazakhstan, a vast Central Asian country bordering Russia and China.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The 12,700-square-foot mansion in Fair Oaks — an unincorporated community in Sacramento County bordering the American River — has been listed for $7.5 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Madison did need to come up with at least three votes on assumption—here Jefferson's account is accurate—and eventually four members switched their votes, all of them congressmen from districts bordering on the Potomac.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
