Etymology: Partly < bore v.¹; but in senses 1 – 4 it may be partly adoption of, or cognate with, Old Norse bora weak feminine ‘bore-hole’ < Germanic *borôn- (the corresponding form *bore is not recorded in Old English; the equivalent Old High German bora , Dutch boor (feminine), agree in meaning with 5); and in sense 5 < Old English bor ‘borer, gimlet’ = Old Norse bor-r < Germanic *boro-z : see bore v.¹

Etymology: This, and bore v.² arose after 1750; etymology unknown. (Usually supposed to be < bore v.², which is then regarded as a figurative use of bore v.¹, with the notion of ‘persistent annoyance’ (compare German drillen ). But it seems impossible in this way to account for sense 1, which is apparently the source of the other senses, and of the verb itself. If related at all to bore v.¹ or bore n.¹, the connection must be much more indirect; possibly there is an allusion to some now forgotten anecdote. The phrase ‘French bore’ naturally suggests that the word is of French origin; bourre padding, hence (in 18th cent.) triviality, bourrer to stuff, to satiate, might be thought of; but without assuming some intermediate link these words do not quite yield the required sense.)

Etymology: In sense 1, apparently < Old Norse bára wave, billow: it is doubtful whether sense 2 is the same word, since no examples even of its local use in early times have been found.

Etymology: Common Germanic: Old English borian weak verb is cognate with Old High German borôn (Middle High German born , modern German bohren ), Dutch boren , Old Norse bora < Germanic *borôn to bore, < Germanic *boro-z , whence Old English, Old Norse bor strong masculine, an auger, gimlet (see bore n.¹); < Aryan root meaning to cut, pierce, whence Latin forāre to bore, Greek ϕάρος a plough, etc. The original short o is lengthened by position in Middle English and modern English, as in modern German and Dutch. (Some of the latter senses are difficult to account for: 6 may really be a different word.)

Etymology: Apparently < bore n.²