BUILD

physique, build, body-build, habitus

(noun) constitution of the human body

build

(verb) improve the cleansing action of; “build detergents”

build

(verb) found or ground; “build a defense on nothing but the accused person’s reputation”

construct, build, make

(verb) make by combining materials and parts; “this little pig made his house out of straw”; “Some eccentric constructed an electric brassiere warmer”

build, establish

(verb) build or establish something abstract; “build a reputation”

build

(verb) give form to, according to a plan; “build a modern nation”; “build a million-dollar business”

build

(verb) order, supervise, or finance the construction of; “The government is building new schools in this state”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

build (third-person singular simple present builds, present participle building, simple past and past participle (archaic or poetic) builded or built)

(transitive) To form (something) by combining materials or parts.

(transitive) To develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.

(transitive) To increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to.

(transitive) To establish a basis for (something).

(intransitive) To form by combining materials or parts.

(intransitive) To develop in magnitude or extent.

(transitive, computing) To construct (software) by compiling its source code.

(intransitive, computing, of source code) To be converted into software by compilation, usually with minimal human intervention.

Usage notes

• The simple past tense and past participle used to be builded; however, that form is now archaic, having been superseded by the form built.

Synonyms

• (to form by combining materials or parts): construct, erect

• (to develop or give form to according to a plan or process): create

• (to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to): build up, enlarge, increase, strengthen

• (to establish a basis for): base, found, ground

Antonyms

• (to form by combining materials or parts): demolish, destroy, ruin, wreck

• (to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to): decrease, dissipate, weaken

Noun

build (countable and uncountable, plural builds)

(countable, uncountable) The physique of a human body; constitution or structure of a human body.

(computing, countable) Any of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to users.

(gaming, slang, countable) Any structure, such as a building, statue, pool or forest, created by the player.

Source: Wiktionary


Build, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Built; p. pr. & vb. n. Building. The regular imp. & p. p. Builded is antiquated.] Etym: [OE. bulden, bilden, AS. byldan to build, fr. bold house; cf. Icel. bol farm, abode, Dan. bol small farm, OSw. bol, böle, house, dwelling, fr. root of Icel. b to dwell; akin to E. be, bower, boor. sq. root97.]

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.

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.

Build, n.

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

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

18 May 2025

OBLIQUE

(adjective) slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled; “the oblique rays of the winter sun”; “acute and obtuse angles are oblique angles”; “the axis of an oblique cone is not perpendicular to its base”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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