English Dictionary

Definition of “bore”

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1bore1 (bɔːPronunciation for bore1) 

Definitions

verb

  1. to produce (a hole) in (a material) by use of a drill, auger, or other cutting tool
  2. to increase the diameter of (a hole), as by an internal turning operation on a lathe or similar machine
  3. (tr) to produce (a hole in the ground, tunnel, mine shaft, etc) by digging, drilling, cutting, etc
  4. (intr) informal (of a horse or athlete in a race) to push other competitors, esp in order to try to get them out of the way

noun

  1. a hole or tunnel in the ground, esp one drilled in search of minerals, oil, etc
    1. a circular hole in a material produced by drilling, turning, or drawing
    2. the diameter of such a hole
    1. the hollow part of a tube or cylinder, esp of a gun barrel
    2. the diameter of such a hollow part; calibre
  4. Australian an artesian well

Word Origin

Old English borian ; related to Old Norse bora , Old High German borōn  to bore, Latin forāre  to pierce, Greek pharos  ploughing, phárunxpharynx

2bore2 (bɔːPronunciation for bore2) 

Definitions

verb

  1. (tr) to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting

noun

  1. a dull, repetitious, or uninteresting person, activity, or state

Alternative Forms

bored adjective

Word Origin

C18: of unknown origin

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= tire, exhaust, annoy, fatigue, weary, wear out, jade, wear down, be tedious pall on send to sleep
= nuisance, pain, drag, headache, yawn, anorak, pain in the neck dullard, pain in the arse dull person tiresome person wearisome talker

3bore3 (bɔːPronunciation for bore3) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a high steep-fronted wave moving up a narrow estuary, caused by the tide

Word Origin

C17: from Old Norse bāra wave, billow

4bore4 (bɔːPronunciation for bore4) 

Definitions

verb

  1. the past tense of bear1

1bear1 (bɛəPronunciation for bear1) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: bears, bearing, bore, borne
(mainly tr)
  1. to support or hold up; sustain
  2. to bring or convey  ⇒ to bear gifts 
  3. to take, accept, or assume the responsibility of  ⇒ to bear an expense 
  4. (past participle bornin passive use except when foll by by) to give birth to  ⇒ to bear children 
  5. (also intr) to produce by or as if by natural growth  ⇒ to bear fruit 
  6. to tolerate or endure  ⇒ she couldn't bear him 
  7. to admit of; sustain  ⇒ his story does not bear scrutiny 
  8. to hold in the conscious mind or in one's feelings  ⇒ to bear a grudge I'll bear that idea in mind 
  9. to show or be marked with  ⇒ he still bears the scars 
  10. to transmit or spread  ⇒ to bear gossip 
  11. to render or supply (esp in the phrase bear witness)
  12. to conduct or manage (oneself, the body, etc)  ⇒ she bore her head high 
  13. to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison)  ⇒ his account bears no relation to the facts 
  14. (intr) to move, be located, or lie in a specified direction  ⇒ the way bears east 
  15. to have by right; be entitled to (esp in the phrase bear title)
  16. See bear a hand
  17. See bring to bear

See also

bear down , bear off , bear on , bear out , bear up , bear with , born

Word Origin

Old English beran ; related to Old Norse bera , Old High German beran  to carry, Latin ferre , Greek pherein  to bear, Sanskrit bharati he carries

Quotations

  • "Bore: a person who talks when you wish him to listen" Ambrose Bierce
  • "The way to be a bore is to say everything" Voltaire
  • "He was not only a bore; he bored for England" Malcolm Muggeridge
  • "A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you" Bert Leston Taylor
  • "A healthy male adult bore consumes each year one and a half times his own weight in other people's patience" John Updike
  • "Some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week" W.D. Howells

Translations

  • British English: bore Pronunciation for bore If someone or something bores you, you find them dull and uninteresting.He bored her all through the meal with stories of the Navy.bɔː VERB He bored her all through the meal with stories of the Navy.
  • Spanish: aburrir Pronunciation for aburrir v
  • French: ennuyer Pronunciation for ennuyer vt
  • German: bohren Pronunciation for bohren v
  • Chinese: 烦扰Pronunciation for 烦扰 v
  • Arabic: يـُمْلِل علىPronunciation for يـُمْلِل على v
  • Portuguese: aborrecerPronunciation for aborrecer v
  • Russian: сверлитьPronunciation for сверлить v
  • Croatian: dosaditiPronunciation for dosaditi v
  • Czech: nuditPronunciation for nudit v
  • Danish: kedePronunciation for kede v
  • Dutch: vervelenPronunciation for vervelen v
  • Finnish: ikävystyttääPronunciation for ikävystyttää v
  • Greek: προκαλώ ανίαPronunciation for προκαλώ ανία v
  • Italian: trapanarePronunciation for trapanare v
  • Japanese: 穴をあけるPronunciation for 穴をあける v
  • Korean: 구멍을 뚫다Pronunciation for 구멍을 뚫다 v
  • Norwegian: borePronunciation for bore v
  • Polish: zanudzićPronunciation for zanudzić v zanudzać
  • Brazilian Portuguese: entediarPronunciation for entediar v
  • European Spanish: aburrir Pronunciation for aburrir v
  • Swedish: tråka utPronunciation for tråka ut v
  • Thai: เบื่อPronunciation for เบื่อ v
  • Turkish: canını sıkmakPronunciation for canını sıkmak v
  • Vietnamese: làm cho chánPronunciation for làm cho chán v

Usage examples

  • I sighed --- these celebrity slimming books are such a bore.
    Isabel Wolff, RESCUING ROSE (2002)
  • An alliance with Aragón in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries bore the greatest fruit for the Catalans in terms of glory.
    Country Life (2005)
  • Carpentier said he knew he had to be flawless as Junqueira bore down on him.
    Globe and Mail (2003)
  • Saturday's triumphant end to the three-day meeting bore testimony to their patronage of Merseyside's only true worldwide sporting jamboree.
    Liverpool Daily Post and Echo (2003)
  • Their spirit of inquiry, painstaking dissection and observation bore fruit in Servetus's discovery of the pulmonary circulation.
    Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'B'

Related Terms

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