1 [+ obj] a : to take and use (something that belongs to someone else) for a period of time before returning it
▪ Can I borrow your camera? [=will you lend me your camera] ▪ The twins often borrow each other's clothes. ▪ I'm borrowing a friend's car for the weekend. ▪ He borrowed the book from the library.
b : to take and use up (something) with the promise to give back something of equal value
▪ Will you see if we can borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbors? ▪ She borrowed $20 from me. ◊When people borrow money from a bank they pay back the same amount over a number of months or years plus an added amount that is called interest.
▪ He borrowed money from the bank to buy the car. 2 : to use (an idea, saying, etc.) that was thought up by someone else [+ obj] ▪ The speech was peppered with phrases borrowed from Winston Churchill. ▪ She borrowed the technique from local artisans. ▪ The company is borrowing a page from [=using a technique or idea first used by] its largest competitor. [no obj] ▪ He borrows heavily [=includes many ideas] from other philosophers in the book. 3 [+ obj] : to use (a word or phrase from another language) in a language
▪ The English word “entrepreneur” was borrowed from (the) French. 4 [+ obj] in subtracting from a number with two or more digits : to take 1 from a digit and add it as 10 to the digit in the next lower place