Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hole or passage made by drilling: A cylindrical opening created by a drill or boring tool, often for exploration or construction.
   • The interior diameter of a tube or gun barrel: The hollow, cylindrical space inside a pipe, cylinder, or firearm.
   • A high, often dangerous, tidal wave: A sudden, forceful surge of water caused by the meeting of tidal currents, typically in a narrow estuary or river mouth.
   • A person who causes boredom: An individual whose conversation or company is dull, tedious, or uninteresting.

2. Verb:

   • To make a hole by drilling or piercing: To create a hole using a rotating tool or a pointed instrument.
   • To cause someone to feel boredom: To make someone feel weary and uninterested due to dullness or monotony.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The geologists examined the bore to analyze the rock samples. (They looked at the drilled hole.)
  • This rifle has a bore of 7.62 millimeters. (The internal diameter of the barrel is 7.62mm.)
  • The river's bore can be dangerous for small boats. (The tidal surge is hazardous.)
  • He's such a bore at parties; he only talks about taxes. (He is a boring person.)

• Verb:

  • They will bore a well to reach the water table. (They will drill a well.)
  • The long lecture bored the students. (The lecture made the students feel bored.)

Advanced Usage

• "bore into": To look at someone very intently and often uncomfortably.
  • Her eyes seemed to bore into him, making him nervous.
• "bore the brunt of": To endure the worst part of something difficult or unpleasant. (Note: This is a set phrase using the past tense of "bear," not the verb "bore" meaning to drill or cause boredom).
  • The coastal towns bore the brunt of the storm.

Variants and Related Words

• Bored (adj.): Feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest.
  • The audience grew bored during the repetitive presentation.
• Boring (adj.): Not interesting; tedious.
  • It was a boring movie with no plot.
• Borer (n.): A tool, insect, or mollusk that bores holes.
  • The corn borer is a pest that damages crops.
• Borehole (n.): A deep, narrow hole made in the ground, especially to locate water or oil.
  • They drilled a borehole to test for mineral deposits.

Synonyms

• Noun (hole): Drill hole, shaft, tunnel.
• Noun (person): Dullard, drag (informal).
• Verb (drill): Drill, pierce, perforate.
• Verb (cause boredom): Tire, weary, jade.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bore through: To penetrate or make a hole through something by drilling or forcing a way.
  • The drill bit bored through the metal plate easily.

Related Idioms

• "bore someone to tears" / "bore someone to death": To cause someone extreme boredom.
  • His endless stories about his stamp collection bore me to tears.
• "bore the pants off someone" (informal): To bore someone intensely.
  • That documentary bored the pants off me.

Note on Different Meanings

• The word bore is also the simple past tense of the verb bear (meaning to carry, endure, or give birth to). This is a separate lexical item.
  • She bore the responsibility well. (Past tense of "bear.")
  • He was born in London. (Past participle of "bear" in this specific context.)

Noun

1. a hole or passage made by a drill; usually made for exploratory purposes
2. diameter of a tube or gun barrel
3. a high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)
4. a person who evokes boredom

Verb

1. make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool
   • don't drill here, there's a gas pipe
   • drill a hole into the wall
   • drill for oil
   • carpenter bees are boring holes into the wall
2. cause to be bored