Borrow
to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent:
Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower.
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.
Arithmetic. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and add to the next lower.
to borrow something:
Don’t borrow unless you intend to repay.
Nautical.
to sail close to the wind; luff.
to sail close to the shore.
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 trouble, to do something that is unnecessary and may cause future harm or inconvenience.
George, 1803–81, English traveler, writer, and student of languages, especially Romany.
Contemporary Examples
Whose Elephant Is It? Winston Ross December 8, 2012
As 30-Year Anniversary of Mass Killings in India Arrives, Sikhs Find Safety in USA Simran Jeet Singh October 30, 2014
Chasen Murderer’s Secret Past A. L. Bardach December 14, 2010
Netanyahu Swims Against Iranian Diplomatic Current Ali Gharib October 1, 2013
French Election Results: Sarkozy Gets the Boot Christopher Dickey May 5, 2012
Historical Examples
Masterpieces of Mystery, Vol. 1 (of 4) Various
Brave and Bold Horatio Alger
Genius in Sunshine and Shadow Maturin Murray Ballou
Weighed and Wanting George MacDonald
The Knights of Arthur Frederik Pohl
verb
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
to adopt (ideas, words, etc) from another source; appropriate
(not standard) to lend
(golf) to putt the ball uphill of the direct path to the hole
(intransitive) (golf) (of a ball) to deviate from a straight path because of the slope of the ground
noun
(golf) a deviation of a ball from a straight path because of the slope of the ground: a left borrow
material dug from a borrow pit to provide fill at another
living on borrowed time
living an unexpected extension of life
close to death
noun
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)
v.
In addition to the idiom beginning with
borrow
Read Also:
- Borrow--pit
a pit from which construction material, as sand or gravel, is taken for use as fill at another location. Historical Examples A Bird Calendar for Northern India Douglas Dewar noun (civil engineering) an excavation dug to provide fill to make up ground elsewhere noun Examples Word Origin
- Borrowable
to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent: Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower. 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. Arithmetic. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and […]
- Borrowed-time
an uncertain, usually limited period of time extending beyond or postponing the occurrence of something inevitable.
- Borrower
to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent: Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower. 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. Arithmetic. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and […]
- Borrower-s-card
library card. a card issued by a library to individuals or organizations entitling them or their representatives to borrow materials.