Definition of 'bore'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense bores
, present participle boring
, past tense, past participle bored
3. countable noun
6. verb
[written]
7. countable noun [usually supplement NOUN]
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
combining form [ADJECTIVE noun]
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
bore in British English 1
verb
2.
3. (transitive)
4. (intransitive) informal
(of a horse or athlete in a race) to push other competitors, esp in order to try to get them out of the way
noun
5.
a hole or tunnel in the ground, esp one drilled in search of minerals, oil, etc
6.
b.
the diameter of such a hole
7.
b.
the diameter of such a hollow part; calibre
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English borian; related to Old Norse bora, Old High German borōn to bore, Latin forāre to pierce, Greek pharos ploughing, phárunx pharynxWord Frequency
bore in British English 2
verb
noun
2.
a dull, repetitious, or uninteresting person, activity, or state
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
bored adjective
Word origin
C18: of unknown origin
Word Frequency
bore in British English 4
verb
the past tense of bear1
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bore in American English 1
verb transitiveWord forms: bored or ˈboring
1.
to make a hole in or through with a drill or other rotating tool
2.
to make (a hole, tunnel, well, etc.) by or as by drilling
3.
to force (one's way), as through a crowd
4.
to weary by being dull, uninteresting, or monotonous
verb intransitive
5.
to bore a hole or passage
6.
to be drilled by a tool
soft materials bore easily
7.
to move forward slowly but steadily, as if by boring
8.
to become weary and disinterested
noun
9.
a hole made by or as by boring
10.
b.
the inside diameter of such a hollow part; gauge; caliber
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME boren < OE borian, to bore < bor, auger < IE base *bher-, to cut with a sharp point > Gr *pharein, to split, L forare, to bore, ferire, to cut, kill
Word Frequency
bore in American English 2
noun
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
bore in American English 3
verb transitive, verb intransitive
pt. of
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
bore in American English 1
(bɔr, bour) (verb bored, boring)
transitive verb
2.
to make (a hole) by drilling with such an instrument
3.
to form, make, or construct (a tunnel, mine, well, passage, etc.) by hollowing out, cutting through, or removing
a core of material
to bore a tunnel through the Alps
to bore an oil well 3000 feet deep
4. Machinery
5. (usually fol. by through or into)
to force (an opening), as through a crowd, by persistent forward thrusting
intransitive verb
6.
to make a hole in a solid substance with a rotary cutting instrument
7. Machinery
to enlarge a hole to a precise diameter
noun
SYNONYMS 1. perforate, drill. 10. caliber.9.
a hole made or enlarged by boring
10.
the inside diameter of a hole, tube, or hollow cylindrical object or device, such as a bushing or bearing, engine cylinder, or barrel of a gun
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
boreable or borable adjective
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME; OE borian; c. OHG borōn, ON bora, L forāre]Word Frequency
bore in American English 2
(bɔr, bour) (verb bored, boring)
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. fatigue, tire, annoy.ANTONYMS 1. amuse; thrill, enrapture.Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1760–70; of uncert. orig.]Word Frequency
bore in American English 3
(bɔr, bour)
noun
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1275–1325; ME bare ‹ ON bāra wave]Word Frequency
bore in American English 4
(bɔr, bour)
verb
pt. of bear1
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word Frequency
bore in Automotive Engineering 1
(bɔr)
Word forms: (regular plural) bores
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
The bore is the internal diameter of the cylinder of an engine or pump.
The engine is a three-liter unit with an 83 x 90mm bore and stroke.
The four-cylinder, four-stroke engine has a bore of 80 mm.
The thin-wall cylinders were used to achieve the 2.8-liter displacement with a 92-mm
bore.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bore in Automotive Engineering 2
(bɔr)
Word forms: (regular plural) bores
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
The bore is the cylinder wall of an engine.
COLLOCATIONS: cylinder ~
The engine has new cylinder heads and pistons fitted to a smaller aluminum block
with larger cylinder bores.
Lubricate the cylinder bores with a light spray of oil into each plug hole.
While removing the spring assembly, be careful not to scratch the bore of the cylinder.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bore in Automotive Engineering 3
(bɔr)
Word forms: (present) bores, (past) bored, (perfect) bored, (progressive) boring
verb
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
If you bore a hole in something, you make a deep round hole in it using a special tool.
COLLOCATIONS: ~ a hole
You'll have to bore a hole in the engine mounting.
“We bore a big hole, but drill a smaller one,” the machinist explained.
The machinist bored an 8cm hole.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bore in Automotive Engineering 4
(bɔr)
Word forms: (present) bores, (past) bored, (perfect) bored, (progressive) boring
verb
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Engine, transmission, and exhaust)
If you bore a cylinder in an engine, you increase the size of the cylinder bore to accept the piston, and so increase displacement.
COLLOCATIONS: ~ the cylinder
Next, bore the cylinder to fit the piston in.
Remove the cylinder and bore it to the precise dimensions to obtain proper piston clearance.
He had to bore the cylinder to accept the oversize piston.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Automotive Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bore in Mechanical Engineering
(bɔr)
Word forms: (regular plural) bores
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Manufacturing and assembly)
boringA bore is a circular hole in a material produced by drilling, turning, or drawing.
Drill a bore of 100mm diameter into the workpiece.
The eyebolt is threaded into a bore in the metal.
A bore is a circular hole in a material produced by drilling, turning, or drawing.
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Mechanical Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Examples of 'bore' in a sentence
bore
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Quotations
Bore: a person who talks when you wish him to listenThe Devil's Dictionary
The way to be a bore is to say everythingSept Discours en vers sur l'Homme
He was not only a bore; he bored for EnglandTread Softly (writing of Sir Anthony Eden)
More idioms containing
bore
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In other languages
bore
British English: bore
/bɔː/ VERB
person If someone or something bores you, you find them dull and uninteresting.
He bored her all through the meal with stories of the Navy.
- American English: bore /ˈbɔr/
- Arabic: يـُمْلِل على
- Brazilian Portuguese: entediar
- Chinese: 烦扰
- Croatian: dosađivati
- Czech: nudit
- Danish: kede
- Dutch: vervelen
- European Spanish: aburrir
- Finnish: ikävystyttää
- French: ennuyer
- German: langweilen
- Greek: προκαλώ ανία
- Italian: annoiare
- Japanese: 穴をあける
- Korean: 구멍을 뚫다
- Norwegian: bore
- Polish: zanudzić
- European Portuguese: aborrecer
- Romanian: a plictisi
- Russian: докучать
- Latin American Spanish: aburrir
- Swedish: tråka ut
- Thai: ทำให้เบื่อ
- Turkish: canını sıkmak
- Ukrainian: надокучати
- Vietnamese: làm cho chán
British English: bore
NOUN /bɔː/
You describe someone as a bore when you think that they talk in a very uninteresting way.
British English: bore
VERB /bɔː/
hole If you bore a hole in something, you make a deep round hole in it using a special tool.
Get the special drill bit to bore the correct size hole for the job.
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bore
Source
Definition of bore from the Collins English Dictionary
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