borrow

borrowverb

To borrow is to take something that belongs to someone else and use it for a time, whether it is a thing, money, or an idea.

1. take and give backtake something from someone with their agreement, planning to give it back later

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • Can I borrow your pen for a minute? V + obj
   • Mari borrowed a book from the library. V + obj + prep + obj (the source takes from, not to)
   • They borrowed a ladder from the neighbors. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Could we borrow some chairs for the party? V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun borrow a book, borrow a car, borrow a pen, borrow clothes, borrow a cup of sugar

   verb + preposition borrow from someone, borrow from the library

   phrase borrow something from someone, can I borrow, borrow and lend

   Compare lend (lend is what the giver does: I borrowed it from her; she lent it to me); rent (you pay to rent something)

   1. aget money from a bank or a person and pay it back later, usually with interest

      transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

      • The company borrowed heavily to build the new factory. (heavily: large amounts)
      • We had to borrow to pay for the repairs. (no object)
      • I borrowed some money from my brother. V + obj + prep + obj

      Collocations

      verb + noun borrow money, borrow a large sum

      verb + adverb borrow heavily, borrow wisely

      phrase borrow from a bank, borrow against your house, borrow at interest

   For translators (sense 1)

   Meaning across languages Many languages have one verb for borrow and lend, or show the direction with a particle. In English the direction is fixed: borrow is what the taker does, lend what the giver does (I borrowed it from her; she lent it to me).

   Grammar trap Borrow something from someone: the person you borrow from is marked with from, never with to or of. The taker is the subject.

2. take an ideatake a word, an idea, or a style from another language, person, or work and use it as your own

   transitive [T] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj] verb + object [V + obj]

   • English has borrowed many words from other languages. V + obj + prep + obj
   • The design borrows ideas from older buildings. V + obj + prep + obj
   • He borrowed the plot of his story from an old tale. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun borrow a word, borrow an idea, borrow a phrase, borrow a term

   verb + adverb borrow heavily from, borrow freely from

   Synonyms adopt

   Compare copy (copy suggests taking something without adding anything of your own)

3. in subtractiontake ten from the number in the next place to the left when you subtract, because the top number is too small

   intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] mathematics

   • You can't take 7 from 3, so you borrow from the tens. V + prep + obj
   • Remember to cross out the number you borrowed from.

   Collocations

   phrase borrow from the tens, borrow one

   Compare carry (in addition, you carry a number to the left)

See also loan