— borrowable , adj. — borrower , n.
/bor"oh, bawr"oh/ , v.t.
1. to take or obtain with the promise to return the same or an equivalent: Our neighbor borrowed my lawn mower.
2. to use, appropriate, or introduce from another source or from a foreign source: to borrow an idea from the opposition; to borrow a word from French.
3. Arith. (in subtraction) to take from one denomination and add to the next lower.
v.i.
4. to borrow something: Don't borrow unless you intend to repay.
5. Naut.
a. to sail close to the wind; luff.
b. to sail close to the shore.
6. Golf. to putt on other than a direct line from the lie of the ball to the hole, to compensate for the incline or roll of the green.
7. borrow trouble , to do something that is unnecessary and may cause future harm or inconvenience.
[ bef. 900; ME borowen, OE borgian to borrow, lend, deriv. of borg a pledge; akin to D borg a pledge, borgen to charge, give credit, G Borg credit, borgen to take on credit ]
Syn. 2. acquire, take, get; copy, pirate, plagiarize.