borrow

Pronunciation: /ˈbɒrəʊ/

Definition of borrow

[with object]

1take and use (something belonging to someone else) with the intention of returning it:he had borrowed a car from one of his colleagues
take and use (money) from a person or bank under an agreement to pay it back later: to meet this deficit the government has to borrow money [no object]:lower interest rates will make it cheaper for individuals to borrow
take and use (a book) from a library for a fixed period of time: you could easily have borrowed a book from your local library
take (a word or idea) from another language, person, or source and use it in one’s own language or work:the term is borrowed from Greek

2 Golf allow (a certain distance) when playing a shot to compensate for sideways motion of the ball due to a slope or other irregularity.

Golf

a slope or other irregularity on a golf course which must be compensated for when playing a shot.

Phrases

be (living) on borrowed time: used to convey that someone has survived against expectations, with the implication that they will not do so for much longer: the government is living on borrowed time
borrow trouble: North American take needless action that may have detrimental effects.

Old English borgian 'borrow against security', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German borgen

Some people confuse the two words lend and borrow, which have reciprocal but different meanings: see lend (usage).

Definition of borrow in the US English dictionary