border

border — noun

1. the official dividing line between two countries or regions, or the area close t

1.nounB1
Definition

the official dividing line between two countries or regions, or the area close to it.

Example

Guards checked trucks at the border between Peru and Bolivia.

pattern: the border between A and B

After midnight, the family crossed the border on foot.

common collocation: cross the border

Common collocations
  • cross the border
  • border guard
  • border town
  • near the border
Synonyms
  • boundary

    slightly more formal and used for many kinds of dividing lines, not only between countries

  • frontier

    often suggests the outer edge of a country or a less settled region

  • edge

    much broader and not usually an official political line

Grammar Patterns

the border between A and B

cross the border

on/near the border

Usage Note

Often used with verbs such as cross, close, guard, and patrol. Context shows whether it means the line itself or the border area nearby.

Common Mistakes

We crossed the border of Mexico yesterday.
We crossed the border into Mexico yesterday.
Use 'into' when talking about entering the country beyond the border.

2. a narrow line, band, or frame placed around an object's edge, sometimes to make

2.nounB2
Definition

a narrow line, band, or frame placed around an object's edge, sometimes to make it look better.

Example

A gold border ran around the wedding invitation.

a border around + object

Mei stitched a blue border onto the baby blanket.

draw/sew a border

Common collocations
  • gold border
  • wide border
  • border around the page
  • decorative border
Synonyms
  • frame

    often suggests a more solid outer line or structure around a picture

  • trim

    often used for decorative material added to cloth or furniture

  • edging

    focuses on the material that finishes the edge

Grammar Patterns

a border around + object

a border of + color/material

draw/sew a border

Usage Note

Usually refers to something visible around paper, cloth, pictures, or screens. Distinguish from noun/3, which is a planted strip of soil in a garden.

Common Mistakes

She drew a border in the card.
She drew a border around the card.
A border goes at the edge, not in the middle.

3. a thin piece of garden ground beside grass or a path, used for growing flowers.

3.nounB2
Definition

a thin piece of garden ground beside grass or a path, used for growing flowers.

Example

Rosa planted yellow tulips in the border by the front path.

a border by/beside + lawn/path

Weeds filled the border after two weeks of heavy rain.

Common collocations
  • flower border
  • rose border
  • plant a border
  • border beside the lawn
Synonyms
  • flower bed

    broader; it can be any shaped area of flowers, not only a long strip at the edge

  • bed

    short everyday gardening word, but less exact

  • planting strip

    descriptive and practical, often used in gardening plans

Grammar Patterns

plant flowers in a border

a border by/beside + lawn/path

rose/flower border

Usage Note

Usually used in gardening, often with flower or rose before it. Distinguish from noun/2, which is an edge on an object rather than a piece of soil.

Common Mistakes

We planted roses on the border by the wall.
We planted roses in the border by the wall.
Use 'in' because this sense is a piece of soil where plants grow.

border — verb

Word family

  • borderline
    adjectiveC1
  • borderless
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For the line between countries or areas, 'border' is the normal everyday word, especially in news about travel, trade, or immigration. 'Boundary' is slightly more formal and works for many kinds of dividing lines, such as between properties, fields, or areas of study, so it is wider in use. 'Frontier' often suggests the outer edge of a country or a more distant, less settled region, not only a precise legal line. 'Edge' is much broader and usually means the outer limit of an object or place, not an official division. So you cross a border at a checkpoint, mark a property boundary with a fence, describe a wild frontier far from cities, and stand at the edge of a cliff.

border ↗boundary ↗frontier ↗edge ↗

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchEnglish

Border came into English from Old French bordure, a word for an edge or trimming around something. That French form was built from bord, meaning an edge or rim, and it is related to Germanic words behind English 'board'. From the idea of an outer edge, English later developed the sense of the line separating one place from another.