borrow

To take and use something belonging to someone else, intending to give it back.

• Can I borrow your pen?
• She borrowed a bike from her neighbour.
• We need to borrow money to repair the roof.

How to use it: borrow something from someone (I borrowed a ladder from my uncle.)

Opposites: lend

Common phrases: borrow a book, borrow from someone, borrow some money, borrow a car

To use someone else’s idea, phrase, or style in your own work.

• She borrowed an idea from the film.
• The designer borrows patterns from traditional art.
• May I borrow your phrase for my title?

How to use it: borrow something from someone/something (The author borrowed the plot from an old folk tale.)

Similar words: adopt, take

Common phrases: borrow an idea, borrow a phrase, borrow from someone

To take a word from another language and use it in your own language.

• English borrowed this word from French.
• Languages often borrow words for new foods.
• The term was borrowed from Arabic centuries ago.

How to use it: borrow something from a language (Japanese has borrowed many words from English.)

Similar words: adopt

Common phrases: borrow a word, borrow from French, borrow foreign words

The sideways turn of a rolling ball’s path caused by sloping ground, especially in golf.

• This putt has some borrow.
• She allowed for the borrow when aiming.
• The slope creates a slight borrow to the left.

Similar words: break

Common phrases: allow for borrow, leftward borrow, read the borrow