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Borrow

//ˈbɒɹ.əʊ// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
A surname.
"George Borrow wrote novels and travelogues based on his experiences travelling around Europe."

Noun

1
Deviation of the path of a rolling ball from a straight line; slope; slant. countable, uncountable
"This putt has a big left-to right borrow on it."
2
A ransom; a pledge or guarantee. archaic
3
A borrow pit. countable, uncountable
"As previously indicated, slurry used for construction of the slurry cutoff trench at Beaver Creek Dam was produced with natural clays and clay tills from local borrows."
4
A surety; someone standing bail. archaic
"”where am I to find such a sum? If I sell the very pyx and candlesticks on the altar at Jorvaulx, I shall scarce raise the half; and it will be necessary for that purpose that I go to Jorvaulx myself; ye may retain as borrows my two priests.”"
5
In Rust and some other programming languages, the situation where the ownership of a value is temporarily transferred to another region of code. countable, uncountable
"If we currently have any borrows of a value, we can't mutably borrow it into self, nor can we move it (because that would invalidate the existing borrows)."

Verb

1
To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
"Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend."
2
get temporarily wordnet
3
To receive money from a bank or other lender under the agreement that the lender will be paid back over time.
4
take up and practice as one's own wordnet
5
To adopt (an idea) as one's own.
"to borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another"

Show 9 more definitions

6
To adopt a word from another language.
"Americans, for example, call newcomers to Antarctica “fingies”, which comes from FNGs – a borrowed military abbreviation that means “Fucking New Guy”."
7
In a subtraction, to deduct (one) from a digit of the minuend and add ten to the following digit, in order that the subtraction of a larger digit in the subtrahend from the digit in the minuend to which ten is added gives a positive result.
8
To lend. Malaysia, Singapore, West-Midlands, proscribed
"“Rosie, borrow me your look looker, I bet my lips are all. Everytime^([sic]) I eat or drink, so quick I gotta fix ’em, yet.”"
9
To temporarily obtain (something) for (someone). ditransitive
"You must borrow me Garagantua's mouth first: 'tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size: To say, ay, and no, to these particulars, is more than to answer in a catechism."
10
To feign or counterfeit.
"borrowed hair"
11
To secure the release of (someone) from prison.
"But if ony maiden would borrow me, I would wed her wi' a ring, And a' my land and a' my houses, They should a' be at her command."
12
To receive (something, usually of trifling value) from somebody, with little possibility of returning it. informal
"Can I borrow a sheet of paper?"
13
To interrupt the current activity of (a person) and lead them away in order to speak with them, get their help, etc. informal
"John, can I borrow you for a second? I need your help with the copier."
14
To adjust one's aim in order to compensate for the slope of the green.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English borwen, borȝien, Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge surety for”), from Proto-West Germanic *borgōn, from Proto-Germanic *burgōną (“to pledge, take care of”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to take care”). Cognate with Dutch borgen (“to borrow, trust”), German borgen (“to borrow, lend”), Danish borge (“to vouch”). Related to Old English beorgan (“to save, preserve”). More at bury.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From Middle English borwe, borgh, from Old English borh, borg, from Proto-West Germanic *borgōn, from Proto-Germanic *burgōną (“to borrow, lend”) (related to Etymology 1, above).

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