Adjacent Words

Build definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BUILD,
BILD, v.t. bild; pret.built; pp. built, pronounced bilt. The regular pret. and pp. builded, is sometimes used.
1. To frame, construct, and raise, as an edifice or fabric of almost any kind, as a house, barn, shop, ship or vessel, a wall, or other structure of art; to unite materials into a regular structure for use or convenience.
2. To raise by art; to frame or shape into a particular form; as, to build up a head dress in a cone.
3. To raise any thing on a support or foundation; as, to build our hopes on air.
4. In scripture, to increase and strengthen; to cement and knit together; to settle or establish and preserve. Acts
20:32. Eph
2:22. i Sam. 2.35.
BUILD, v.i. bild. To exercise the art, or practice the business of building.
To build, to plant, whatever you intend.
1. To construct, rest or depend on as a foundation; as, to build on the opinions of others.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: constitution of the human body [syn: physique, build, body-build, habitus]
2: alternative names for the body of a human being; "Leonardo studied the human body"; "he has a strong physique"; "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" [syn: human body, physical body, material body, soma, build, figure, physique, anatomy, shape, bod, chassis, frame, form, flesh] v
1: make by combining materials and parts; "this little pig made his house out of straw"; "Some eccentric constructed an electric brassiere warmer" [syn: construct, build, make]
2: form or accumulate steadily; "Resistance to the manager's plan built up quickly"; "Pressure is building up at the Indian-Pakistani border" [syn: build up, work up, build, progress]
3: build or establish something abstract; "build a reputation" [syn: build, establish]
4: improve the cleansing action of; "build detergents"
5: order, supervise, or finance the construction of; "The government is building new schools in this state"
6: give form to, according to a plan; "build a modern nation"; "build a million-dollar business"
7: be engaged in building; "These architects build in interesting and new styles"
8: found or ground; "build a defense on nothing but the accused person's reputation"
9: bolster or strengthen; "We worked up courage"; "build up confidence"; "ramp up security in the airports" [syn: build up, work up, build, ramp up]
10: develop and grow; "Suspense was building right from the beginning of the opera"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (built; building) Etymology: Middle English bilden, from Old English byldan; akin to Old English b?an to dwell — more at bower Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to form by ordering and uniting materials by gradual means into a composite whole ; construct 2. to cause to be constructed 3. to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base 4. increase, enlarge intransitive verb 1. to engage in building 2. a. to progress toward a peak (as of intensity) <build to a climax> b. to develop in extent <a crowd building> II. noun Date: 1667 form or mode of structure ; make; especially bodily conformation of a person or animal

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.tr. (past and past. part. built) 1 a construct (a house, vehicle, fire, road, model, etc.) by putting parts or material together. b commission, finance, and oversee the building of (the council has built two new schools). 2 (often foll. by up) establish, develop, make, or accumulate gradually (built the business up from nothing); (often foll. by on); base (hopes, theories, etc.) (ideas built on a false foundation). 3 (as built adj.) having a specified build (sturdily built; brick-built). --n. 1 the proportions of esp. the human body (a slim build). 2 a style of construction; a make (build of his suit was pre-war). Phrases and idioms: build in incorporate as part of a structure. build in (or round or up) surround with houses etc.; block up. build on add (an extension etc.). build up 1 increase in size or strength. 2 praise; boost. 3 gradually become established. build-up n. 1 a favourable description in advance; publicity. 2 a gradual approach to a climax or maximum (the build-up was slow but sure). built-in 1 forming an integral part of a structure. 2 forming an integral part of a person's character (built-in integrity). built on sand unstable. built-up 1 (of a locality) densely covered by houses etc. 2 increased in height etc. by the addition of parts. 3 composed of separately prepared parts. Etymology: OE byldan f. bold dwelling f. Gmc: cf. BOWER(1), BOOTH

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Build Build, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Built; p. pr. & vb. n. Building. The regular imp. & p. p. Builded is antiquated.] [OE. bulden, bilden, AS. byldan to build, fr. bold house; cf. Icel. b[=o]l farm, abode, Dan. bol small farm, OSw. bol, b["o]le, house, dwelling, fr. root of Icel. b?a to dwell; akin to E. be, bower, boor. [root]97.] 1. To erect or construct, as an edifice or fabric of any kind; to form by uniting materials into a regular structure; to fabricate; to make; to raise. Nor aught availed him now To have built in heaven high towers. --Milton. 2. To raise or place on a foundation; to form, establish, or produce by using appropriate means. Who builds his hopes in air of your good looks. --Shak. 3. To increase and strengthen; to increase the power and stability of; to settle, or establish, and preserve; -- frequently with up; as, to build up one's constitution. I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up. --Acts xx. 32. Syn: To erect; construct; raise; found; frame.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Build Build, v. i. 1. To exercise the art, or practice the business, of building. 2. To rest or depend, as on a foundation; to ground one's self or one's hopes or opinions upon something deemed reliable; to rely; as, to build on the opinions or advice of others.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Build Build, n. Form or mode of construction; general figure; make; as, the build of a ship.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(builds, building, built) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you build something, you make it by joining things together. Developers are now proposing to build a hotel on the site... The house was built in the early 19th century... = construct VERB: V n, V n • building In Japan, the building of Kansai airport continues. N-UNCOUNT • built Even newly built houses can need repairs... It's a product built for safety. ...structures that are built to last. ADJ: adv ADJ, ADJ for n, ADJ to-inf 2. If you build something into a wall or object, you make it in such a way that it is in the wall or object, or is part of it. If the TV was built into the ceiling, you could lie there while watching your favourite programme. VERB: be V-ed into n 3. If people build an organization, a society, or a relationship, they gradually form it. He and a partner set up on their own and built a successful fashion company... Their purpose is to build a fair society and a strong economy... I wanted to build a relationship with my team. VERB: V n, V n, V n • building ...the building of the great civilisations of the ancient world. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n 4. If you build an organization, system, or product on something, you base it on it. We will then have a firmer foundation of fact on which to build theories... VERB: V n prep 5. If you build something into a policy, system, or product, you make it part of it. We have to build computers into the school curriculum... How much delay should we build into the plan? = incorporate VERB: V n into n, V n into n 6. To build someone's confidence or trust means to increase it gradually. If someone's confidence or trust builds, it increases gradually. Diplomats hope the meetings will build mutual trust... Usually when we're six months or so into a recovery, confidence begins to build. VERB: V n, V • Build up means the same as build. The delegations had begun to build up some trust in one another... We will start to see the confidence in the housing market building up again. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P, also V P to n 7. If you build on the success of something, you take advantage of this success in order to make further progress. The new regime has no successful economic reforms on which to build. VERB: V on/upon n 8. If pressure, speed, sound, or excitement builds, it gradually becomes greater. Pressure built yesterday for postponement of the ceremony... The last chords of the suite build to a crescendo. VERB: V, V to/into n • Build up means the same as build. We can build up the speed gradually and safely... Economists warn that enormous pressures could build up, forcing people to emigrate westwards. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V P, also V P to n 9. Someone's build is the shape that their bones and muscles give to their body. He's described as around thirty years old, six feet tall and of medium build... N-VAR 10. see also building, built

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Construct, erect, raise, fabricate. II. v. n. Construct edifices. III. n. Make, form, shape, construction, model, figure.

Moby Thesaurus

Platonic form, Platonic idea, add to, aesthetic form, aggrandize, amplify, anatomy, archetype, architectonics, architecture, arrangement, art form, assemble, augment, base, bloat, blow up, bod, body, body-build, boost, broaden, build in, build up, building, bulk, bulk out, cast, combine, compose, composition, compound, concoct, configuration, conformation, consist of, constitute, constitution, construct, construction, create, creation, crescendo, cut, develop, devise, dilate, distend, elaborate, embody, enlarge, enter into, erect, establish, evolve, exalt, expand, extend, extrude, fabric, fabricate, fabrication, fashion, fashioning, fatten, figuration, figure, fill out, fix, forge, forging, form, format, formation, formulate, found, frame, fudge together, genre, get up, getup, go into, ground, habit, heighten, hike, hike up, huff, impression, incorporate, increase, indite, inflate, inner form, install, intensify, invest, jack up, join, jump up, lay the foundation, layout, lengthen, magnify, make, make up, makeup, making, manufacture, matrix, mature, maximize, merge in, mix, modality, mode, model, mold, molding, mount, multiply, organic structure, organism, organization, organize, parlay, patch together, pattern, patterning, person, physique, piece together, pitch, plan, plant, prefabricate, prepare, produce, production, prototype, puff, puff up, pump, pump up, put in, put together, put up, pyramid, raise, rarefy, rear, rise, run up, seat, set, set up, setup, shape, shaping, significant form, stamp, strengthen, stretch, structure, structuring, style, sufflate, swell, synthesize, tectonics, texture, thicken, throw up, tissue, turn, type, unite in, up, uprear, upsurge, vest, warp and woof, wax, weave, web, whomp up, widen, write