I. bor ‧ der 1 S3 W2 /ˈbɔːdə $ ˈbɔːrdər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: bordure , from border 'to border' , from bort 'border' ]
1 . the official line that separates two countries, states, or areas, or the area close to this line:
To cross the border, you will need a valid passport.
border between
the border between the US and Mexico
border with
regular patrols along the border with France
on the border
a market town on the border of England and Wales
across the border
He helped them to get across the border.
south/north etc of the border
The coach took us south of the border to Tia Juana.
2 . a band along or around the edge of something such as a picture or piece of material:
writing paper with a black border
3 . an area of soil where you plant flowers or bushes, along the edge of an area of grass:
a flower and shrub border
4 . something that separates one situation, state etc from another:
new scientific discoveries that are stretching the borders of knowledge
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ cross the border
The army crossed the border and advanced on Warsaw.
▪ flee/escape across the border
Over 100,000 civilians fled across the border.
▪ form the border
The river forms the border between the two countries.
▪ close the border (=prevent people from crossing)
The government moved quickly to close the border.
▪ open the border (=start allowing people to cross)
After fifty years the border was finally opened.
▪ straddle the border (=cover land on both sides of it)
This small village straddles the border between the West Bank and Jerusalem.
■ adjectives
▪ the Welsh/Mexican etc border
I had reached the Swiss border.
▪ the southern/eastern etc border
They renewed their attacks on Ethiopia’s northern border.
▪ the Austro-Hungarian/Hong Kong–China etc border
The village is on the Oxfordshire-Warwickshire border.
▪ a common border (=that countries share)
India and Pakistan each withdrew troops from their common border.
■ border + NOUN
▪ a border dispute (=a disagreement about where the border should be)
a long-running border dispute between Iraq and Iran
▪ a border town
the Chinese border town of Shenzhen
▪ a border area/region
The Afghan border area is open and wild.
▪ a border crossing (=a place where you cross a border)
There are problems of delays at border crossings.
▪ a border guard
the North Korean border guards
▪ border controls (=controls on who crosses a border)
Hungary tightened its border controls.
■ phrases
▪ this/the other side of the border
Her friend lives on the other side of the border.
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THESAURUS
▪ border the official line that separates two countries, or the area close to this line:
The town lies on the border between Chile and Argentina.
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Strasbourg is very close to the German border.
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border guards
▪ frontier especially British English the border:
They crossed the Libyan frontier into Egypt.
▪ line the official line that separates states and counties in the US:
His family lived across the state line in West Virginia.
▪ boundary the line that marks the edge of an area of land that someone owns, or one of the parts of a country:
The fence marks the boundary between the two properties.
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The Mississippi River forms the boundary between Tennessee and Arkansas.
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A road runs along the western boundary of the site.
II. border 2 BrE AmE verb
1 . [I, T] if one country, state, or area borders another, it is next to it and shares a border with it:
countries that border the Mediterranean
border on
The area borders on the Yorkshire Dales.
2 . [transitive] to form a border along the edge of something:
a path bordered by a high brick wall
border on something phrasal verb
to be very close to being something extreme:
His confidence bordered on arrogance.