Pronunciations (4)
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/bɔː/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/boɹ/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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/bo(ː)ɹ/
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/boə/
Verb
To inspire boredom in somebody.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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to bore someone to death
Reading books really bores me; films are much more exciting.
More examples (2)
He bores me with some trick.
[…] used to come and bore me at rare intervals.
To make a hole through something.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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I'll believe as soon this whole earth may be bored.
On June 8, 1872, the London & North Western Railway obtained powers to quadruple its main line, and a new tunnel was bored for the up and down slow lines.
To make a hole with, or as if with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool.
Usage- Intransitive
- Examples
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to bore for water or oil
An insect bores into a tree.
More examples (1)
‘You give me twelve bob a foot, an’ I’ll bloomin’ quick show you whether I can bore or not.’
To form or enlarge (something) by means of a boring instrument or apparatus.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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to bore a steam cylinder or a gun barrel; to bore a hole
short but very powerful jaws, by means whereof the insect can bore […] a cylindrical passage through the most solid wood
To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; to force a narrow and difficult passage through.
Usage- Transitive
- Examples
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to bore one’s way through a crowd
What bustling crowds I bored.
To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns.
Usage- Intransitive
- Examples
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This timber does not bore well.
To glare (as if to drill a hole with the eyes).
Usage- Intransitive
- Examples
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Their eyes bore into my back.
To push or drive (a boxer into the ropes, a boat out of its course, etc.).
Usage- Slang
- Transitive
- Examples
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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.
More examples (1)
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.
To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort.
Usage- Intransitive
- Examples
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They take their flight […] boring to the west.
To fool; to trick.
Usage- Obsolete
Noun
A hole drilled, bored, or milled through something.
- Examples
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the bore of a cannon
the bores of wind-instruments
A borehole sunk into an artesian basin to provide a source of water.
Usage- Australia
- Synonyms
The diameter of such a hole.
The diameter of such a hole. The diameter of a cylinder in a piston engine or compressor.
Usage- especially
- Examples
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The bore times the stroke times the number of cylinders equals displacement.
The tunnel inside of a gun's barrel through which the bullet travels when fired, or (by extension) its diameter.
A tool, such as an auger, for making a hole by boring.
A capped well drilled to tap artesian water.
A capped well drilled to tap artesian water. The place where such a well exists.
One who inspires boredom or lack of interest; an uninteresting person.
- Examples
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My neighbour is such a bore when he talks about his coin collection.
Something dull or uninteresting.
- Examples
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What a bore that movie was! There was no action, and the dialogue was totally uncreative.
It is as great a bore as to hear a poet read his own verses.
More examples (1)
For having submitted my ears to Acutilius for several days (and I think you know his style), I should scarcely have regarded it as a hardship to write you a letter describing his grumblings after patiently enduring the bore (and it was rather a bore, I can tell you) of hearing them.
Calibre; importance.
- Examples
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Yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter.
Noun
A sudden and rapid flow of tide occurring in certain rivers and estuaries which rolls up as a wave.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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In another moment a huge wave, like a muddy tidal bore, but almost scaldingly hot, came sweeping round the bend up-stream.
Noun
a person who evokes boredom
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
a high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
diameter of a tube or gun barrel
a hole or passage made by a drill; usually made for exploratory purposes
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
Verb
cause to be bored
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool
- Synonyms
- Examples
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don't drill here, there's a gas pipe
drill a hole into the wall
More examples (2)
drill for oil
carpenter bees are boring holes into the wall