neighbor

[ ney-ber ]

/ ˈneɪ bər /

noun

a person who lives near another.

a person or thing that is near another.

one's fellow human being: to be generous toward one's less fortunate neighbors.

a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward his or her fellow humans: to be a neighbor to someone in distress.

(used as a term of address, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger): Tell me, neighbor, which way to town?

adjective

situated or living near another: one of our neighbor nations.

verb (used with object)

to live or be situated near to; adjoin; border on.

to place or bring near.

verb (used without object)

to live or be situated nearby.

to associate with or as if with one's neighbors; be neighborly or friendly (often followed by with).

Nearby words

nehru, nehru, jawaharlal, nehru, motilal, nei mongol, neigh, neighbor, neighborhood, neighborhood watch, neighboring, neighborly, neighbour

Also especially British, neigh·bour.

Origin of neighbor

before 900; Middle English; Old English neahgebūr, nēahbūr (nēah nigh + (ge)būr farmer; see Boer, boor); akin to Dutch nabuur, German Nachbar, Old Norse nābūi

Related formsneigh·bor·less, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for neighbour

The fashionable lady, my neighbour, rose also, with graceful reserve.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And she was a regular visitor and supporter of her neighbour in the Oxfordshire countryside, David Cameron.
Rebekah Brooks Takes The Stand At Phone Hacking Trial|Peter Jukes, Nico Hines|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her sister – and neighbour – Lolita Miraflorez, also lost her husband, as did dozens of other women.
Typhoon Haiyan: The Philippine Village that Lost Its Men|The Telegraph|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And once more in "'Man finds his true destiny in nothing if not in self-sacrificing love for his neighbour.'"
Why we should read|S. P. B. Mais

If he ceases to be a neighbour, he is still a benefactor and a customer.
The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, Vol. 4 (of 4)|Thomas Babington Macaulay
He was surprised to find his neighbour seated near the fire in the kitchen.
The Silver Lining|John Roussel
Sally, you will remember, was our neighbour at Milton who spent her life trying to die.
Back at School with the Tucker Twins|Nell Speed
In Begmand's cottage Marianne lay raving in delirium, and the neighbour who attended her said she had the fever.
Garman and Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland

British Dictionary definitions for neighbour

neighbour

US neighbor

/ (ˈneɪbə) /

noun

a person who lives near or next to another

a person or thing near or next to another
(as modifier)neighbour states

verb

(when intr, often foll by on) to be or live close (to a person or thing)

Derived Formsneighbouring or US neighboring, adjectiveneighbourless or US neighborless, adjective

Word Origin for neighbour

Old English nēahbūr, from nēah nigh + būr, gebūr dweller; see boor

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 neighbour (1 of 3)

neighbour

chiefly British English spelling of neighbor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or.

Word Origin and History for neighbour (1 of 3)

neighbor

Old English neahgebur (West Saxon), nehebur (Anglian) "neighbor," from neah "near" (see nigh) + gebur "dweller," related to bur "dwelling" (see bower). Common Germanic compound (cf. Old Saxon nabur, Middle Dutch naghebuur, Dutch (na)bur, Old High German nahgibur, Middle High German nachgebur, German Nachbar). Good neighbor policy attested by 1937, but good neighbor with reference to U.S. policy toward Latin America was used by 1928 by Herbert Hoover.

Word Origin and History for neighbour (2 of 3)

neighbor

1580s, from neighbor (n.). Related: Neighbored; neighboring.

neighbor

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Origin of neighbor

Examples from the Web for neighbour

British Dictionary definitions for neighbour

neighbour

US neighbor

noun

verb

Word Origin for neighbour

Word Origin and History for neighbour (1 of 3)

neighbour

Word Origin and History for neighbour (1 of 3)

neighbor

Word Origin and History for neighbour (2 of 3)

neighbor