I. ˈbȯrdər, ˈbȯ(ə)də(r noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English bordure, from Middle French, from Old French, from border to border, from bort border, ship's side, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bort ship's side — more at board
1.
a. : an outer part or edge : the part that parallels the boundary or outline of something : margin
at the borders of the forest is a lake
b. : a surrounding arrangement (as of material or objects)
a grass plot with a cement border running about it
a roast with a border of browned potatoes
2.
a. : a region lying along the edge of a country or territory : frontier country
the borders of the republic are notable for the vast forests there
b. : a boundary line
travelers crossing the border suddenly find themselves in a totally new world
3. : a long and usually narrow bed used for continuous planting ; also : a strip of planted ground or of plants along or around the edge of a garden, bed, or walk
shrub borders
a border of perennials
4.
a. : an ornamental stripe, print, or other design on or paralleling an edge (as of a fabric, garment, or rug)
b. : a distinctive or functional edging
5.
a. : a narrow strip of painted cloth hung above a stage set to conceal the lights and flies
b. : borderlight
6. : a plain or decorative band around or at an edge of printed matter ; also : the type or other material used to produce such a band
7. : bordure 1
Synonyms:
margin , verge , edge , rim , brim , brink : border indicates either a boundary line or the thin strip just within a boundary line; it may indicate a strip superimposed over an ending or dividing line to emphasize it
the border of a flower bed
the borders of the forest
crossing the border between the United States and Mexico
the border of a handkerchief
margin may denote a border having definite width and definitely differing in some way from the interior surface
the margin of the page
the nether margin of the heath, where it became marshy — Thomas Hardy
verge may indicate a very narrow margin area or a boundary line marking an extreme limit; it is more often used figuratively than literally
tethered the horse for half an hour on the verge of the road — H.E.Bates
like two nations which reluctantly accept the fact that a seemingly trivial border incident has brought them to the verge of war — Louis Auchincloss
the entire expedition was on the verge of being surrounded and exterminated — John Mason Brown
edge indicates a sharply defined terminating line, sometimes between two levels or planes
the edge of the precipice
the edge of the shelf
flat-topped or rolling upland with a steep high edge to the west and a long gentle slope to the east — L.D.Stamp
rim usually designates a curving or round edge
the rim of a wheel
new rims for his glasses
the rim of the canyon
a rim of mountains around the town
brim may apply to the upper rim of a vessel or container or whatever else retains a liquid
the brim of a goblet
filling the tub up to the brim
their host predicted that a rain would follow on the heels of the calm and fill the cisterns to the brim — Jean Stafford
brink may indicate a steep or abrupt edge or brim; it is often figurative
the brink of the cliff
the brink of the canyon
the brink of disaster
the lineaments of that girl on the brink of death were those of the woman already dead — Edith Sitwell
on the brink of a horrible danger — Oscar Wilde
II. verb
( bordered ; bordered ; bordering -d(ə)riŋ ; borders )
Etymology: Middle English borduren, from bordure, n.
transitive verb
1. : to make a border for : furnish with a border : put a border on
bordering the cloth with lace
2.
a. : to form a border or boundary to : bound
shade trees bordering the streets of the town
b. obsolete : to confine within bounds : limit
that nature which contemns its origin cannot be bordered — Shakespeare
3. : to touch upon the border or boundary of : be contiguous or adjacent to : adjoin
an airport borders the city on the south
intransitive verb
1. : to lie on the border : be in an adjacent position to
Iowa borders on Missouri
2. : to come to be closely similar to a specified thing : approach closely the nature or character of a specified thing : verge — usually used with on
training nurses to practice what borders on medicine — Leonard Gross