# borne

/ˈbɔɹn/ (US) · /bˈɔːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/borne
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. carried by a specific medium

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

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

## Examples

- The costs of the wedding were borne by the bride's parents.
- Health officials warned that the virus was water-borne and advised residents to boil their drinking water.
- The heavy burden of leadership is often borne in silence, requiring a level of emotional resilience that few observers truly appreciate or understand.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.