1
: an outer part or edge
at the borders of the forest
2
textiles
: an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug
3
: a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a lawn or walkway
a border of tulips
4
: boundary
on the border between New York and Canada
crossed the border into Italy
5
: a plain or decorative margin around printed matter
wedding invitations with a delicate gold leaf border
bordered; bordering
ˈbȯr-d(ə-)riŋ
1
: to put a border on
a rug bordered with a pattern of leaves
bordered the garden with pansies
2
: to touch at the edge or boundary : bound
borders the city on the south
Slovakia borders Poland.
1
: to lie on the border
The U.S. borders on Canada.
2
: to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge
borders on the ridiculous
bor·der·er
ˈbȯr-dər-ər
plural -s
1
: an inhabitant of a border
valiant borderers who built their log huts in the woods—Van Wyck Brooks
specifically
: an inhabitant of the border between England and Scotland
2
archaic
a
: one that is located nearby : neighbor
b
: one that verges
borderers on the savage state—William Hazlitt
3
[border entry 2 + -er]
: one that makes or applies a border
Cite this Entry
“Border.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/border. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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