What does "borrow" mean?
Deviation of the path of a rolling ball from a straight line; slope; slant.
Borrow
/ˈbɒɹ.əʊ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Deviation of the path of a rolling ball from a straight line; slope; slant.
- Grammar: borrow is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adopt, abstract, act like, adopt.
- Useful contrasts: coin, lending, lent.
- Usage evidence: When we borrow money, we must agree on the conditions.
How to use "borrow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "borrow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "borrow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "borrow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "borrow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "borrow" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adopt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "borrow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
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.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
"George Borrow wrote novels and travelogues based on his experiences travelling around Europe."
Example
"When we borrow money, we must agree on the conditions."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "borrow"?
Common synonyms include: adopt, abstract, act like, adopt, affect, and.
How do you use "borrow" in a sentence?
When we borrow money, we must agree on the conditions.
How do you pronounce "borrow"?
Pronounced /ˈbɒɹ.əʊ/.
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
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).