BORROW

(RECEIVE) [verb] - to get or receive (something) from someone with the intention of giving it back after a period of timeCould I borrow your bike from (not standard off) you until next week? [T]She used to borrow money and not bother to pay it back. [T]Brazil has had to borrow heavily to survive. [I]He borrowed (= took away for a particular period) a novel from the library. [T](figurative) English has borrowed (= takes and uses as its own) (many words) from French. [I or T]USAGE: Compare lend.See study section: Borrow and lendTo live/exist on borrowed time is to continue living after a point at which you might easily have died.Since his cancer was diagnosed he feels as if he's living on borrowed time.(figurative) It is unlikely that serious decisions will be taken by a minority government living on borrowed time (= still governing when most people would have expected them to have stopped).