bore
Pronunciation
  • (America) IPA: /bɔɹ/
  • (RP) IPA: /bɔː/
  • (rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /bo(ː)ɹ/
  • (non-rhotic, non-horse-hoarse) IPA: /boə/
Etymology 1

From Middle English boren, from Old English borian, from Proto-West Germanic *borōn, from Proto-Germanic *burōną.

Compare Danish bore, Norwegian Bokmål bore, Dutch boren, German bohren, Old Norse bora. Cognate with Latin forō, Latin feriō and Albanian birë. Sense of wearying may come from a figurative use such as "to bore the ears"; compare German drillen.

Verb

bore (bores, present participle boring; simple past and past participle bored)

  1. (transitive) To inspire boredom in somebody.
    Reading books really bores me; films are much more exciting.
    to bore someone to death
    • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene i], page 206 ↗:
      He bores me with some trick.
    • 1881, Thomas Carlyle, Reminiscences:
      […] used to come and bore me at rare intervals.
  2. (transitive) To make a hole through something.
    • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:
      I'll believe as soon this whole earth may be bored.
  3. (intransitive) To make a hole with, or as if with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool.
    to bore for water or oil
    An insect bores into a tree.
  4. (transitive) To form or enlarge (something) by means of a boring instrument or apparatus.
    to bore a steam cylinder or a gun barrel; to bore a hole
    • 1862, Thaddeus William Harris, A Treatise on Some of the Insects Injurious to Vegetation:
      short but very powerful jaws, by means whereof the insect can bore […] a cylindrical passage through the most solid wood
  5. (transitive) To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; to force a narrow and difficult passage through.
    to bore one’s way through a crowd
    • [1716], [John] Gay, “Book III. Of Walking the Streets by Night.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC ↗, page 79 ↗:
      What bustling crowds I bored.
  6. (intransitive) To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns.
    This timber does not bore well.
  7. (intransitive) To glare (as if to drill a hole with the eyes).
    Their eyes bore into my back.
  8. (transitive, sports, slang) To push or drive (a boxer into the ropes, a boat out of its course, etc.).
    • 1824, Pierce Egan, Boxiana; Or, Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism, page 600:
      The right hand of Curtis was open too much ; but he nevertheless had the best of the hitting in this round, till Inglis bored him down, out of the ropes.
    • 1885, Tresham Gilbey, Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume 43, page 107:
      Hanlan, it seems, led at about a mile, when Beach's steamer bored him, and to avoid the danger of being swamped, he put on a violent spurt and drew well clear of Beach, getting some lengths lead.
  9. (intransitive) To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort.
    • 1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:
      They take their flight […] boring to the west.
  10. (obsolete) To fool; to trick.
Synonyms Antonyms Related terms Translations Translations Noun

bore (plural bores)

  1. A hole drilled or milled through something, or (by extension) its diameter.
    the bore of a cannon
    • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “II. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC ↗, page 53 ↗:
      the bores of wind-instruments
  2. The tunnel inside of a gun's barrel through which the bullet travels when fired, or (by extension) its diameter.
  3. A tool, such as an auger, for making a hole by boring.
  4. A capped well drilled to tap artesian water.
    1. The place where such a well exists.
  5. One who inspires boredom or lack of interest; an uninteresting person.
    My neighbour is such a bore when he talks about his coin collection.
  6. Something dull or uninteresting.
    What a bore that movie was! There was no action, and the dialogue was totally uncreative.
    • 1871, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Passages from the French and Italian Notebooks:
      It is as great a bore as to hear a poet read his own verses.
  7. Calibre; importance.
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene vi]:
      Yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English *bore, bare, a borrowing from Old Norse bára, from Proto-Germanic *bērō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.

Noun

bore (plural bores)

  1. A sudden and rapid flow of tide occurring in certain rivers and estuaries which rolls up as a wave.
Synonyms Translations
  • French: mascaret
  • German: Gezeitenwelle
  • Italian: flusso anomalo, ondata anomala
Verb
  1. simple past of bear
  2. (colloquial) Past participle of bear
  3. (proscribed) simple past of bare



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