/ ˈbɔːdə(r); NAmE ˈbɔːrd-/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the line that divides two countries or areas; the land near this line :
a national park on the border between Kenya and Tanzania
Denmark's border with Germany
in the US, near the Canadian border
Nevada's northern border
to cross the border
to flee across / over the border
border guards / controls
a border dispute / incident
a border town / state
( figurative )
It is difficult to define the border between love and friendship.
2.
a strip around the edge of sth such as a picture or a piece of cloth :
a pillowcase with a lace border
3.
( in a garden ) a strip of soil which is planted with flowers, along the edge of the grass
—picture at house
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
( of a country or an area ) to share a border with another country or area :
the countries bordering the Baltic
2.
to form a line along or around the edge of sth :
Meadows bordered the path to the woods.
The large garden is bordered by a stream.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- border on sth
••
SYNONYMS
border
boundary ♦ line ♦ frontier
These are all words for a line that marks the edge of sth and separates it from other areas or things.
border
the line that separates two countries or areas; the land near this line:
a national park on the border between Kenya and Tanzania
boundary
a line that marks the edges of an area of land and separates it from other areas:
The fence marked the boundary between my property and hers.
line
an imaginary boundary between one area of land and another; a line on a map that shows this:
lines of longitude and latitude
frontier
( BrE ) the line that separates two countries or areas; the land near this line:
The river formed the frontier between the land of the Saxons and that of the Danes.
which word?
The point where you cross from one country to another is usually called the border . In British English it can also be called the frontier , but this is often in a context of wildness, danger and uncertainty:
The rebels control the frontier and the surrounding area.
The line on a map that shows the border of a country can be called the boundary but 'boundary' is not used when you cross from one country to another:
After the war the national boundaries were redrawn.
• Thousands of immigrants cross the boundary every day. Boundary is used for the borders between counties in Britain, both on the map and on the ground:
We crossed the county boundary into Devon.
States and counties in the US are separated by lines but 'line' is not used for national borders:
crossing state / county lines
• national lines . Boundary can also be a physical line between two places, for example between property belonging to two different people, marked by a fence or wall:
the boundary fence / wall between the properties
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
across / along / on / over a/the border / boundary / line / frontier
at the boundary / frontier
the border / boundary / frontier with a place
the northern / southern / eastern / western border / boundary / line / frontier
a national / common / disputed border / boundary / frontier
a county boundary / line
to share a border / boundary / frontier
a border / boundary / frontier dispute
a border / frontier crossing / post / area / town
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French bordeure ; ultimately of Germanic origin and related to board .