ENGLISH
REFERENCE

borne

adj.
US //ˈbɔɹn// UK //bˈɔːn// borne
  1. 1 carried by a specific medium (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    carried or spread by something, like water, air, or a person.

    carried or transported by a specified agent or medium; frequently used in hyphenated compounds.

    Example

    The doctors were worried about diseases that are water-borne.

    Example

    The health department issued a warning regarding food-borne illnesses after several residents reported similar symptoms following the festival.

    Usage

    Commonly appears as the second element in a compound adjective, such as 'air-borne' or 'mosquito-borne'.
Origin

From Middle English boren, iborne, from Old English boren, ġeboren, past participle of Old English beran (“to carry, bear”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026