borrow

Meaning

1. To receive (something) from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.
2. To receive money from a bank or other lender under the agreement that the lender will be paid back over time.
3. To adopt (an idea) as one's own.
4. To adopt a word from another language.
5. 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.
6. To lend.
7. To temporarily obtain (something) for (someone).
8. To feign or counterfeit.
9. To secure the release of (someone) from prison.
10. (informal) To receive (something, usually of trifling value) from somebody, with little possibility of returning it.
11. (informal) To interrupt the current activity of (a person) and lead them away in order to speak with them, get their help, etc.
12. To adjust one's aim in order to compensate for the slope of the green.

lend

loan

have a loan

take on loan

be in debt

buy on credit

raise a loan

to take

borrow digit

float a loan

incur a debt

lend out

Frequency

Hyphenated as

bor‧row

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbɒɹ.əʊ/

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.