Wordwyrt

borer

/ˈbɔːɹə/BAW-rur
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈbɔɹɚ/BAW-rur

Meaningone that bores

Common meaning: a tool or insect that bores holes

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Journey through time

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bhar-‘bear, carry’source
  2. Old Englishborian‘pierce’sourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishboriensource
  4. Englishbore‘make a hole in’
  5. Englishformed in English from boreborer‘a tool or insect that bores holes’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from bore + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), BORE, p.71 · scan

Source words

  • borian Old English · source word “pierce”

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