Build

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɪld/
• Rhymes: -ɪld
• Homophones: billed

Origin

From Middle English bilden, from Old English byldan ("to build, construct"), from Proto-Germanic *buldijaną, *budlijaną ("to build"), from Proto-Germanic *budlą, *buþlą, *bōdlą, *bōþlą ("house, dwelling, farm"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhōw- ("to swell, grow, thrive, be, live, dwell"). Related to Old English bold ("abode, house, dwelling-place, mansion, hall, castle, temple"). More at bottle.

Full definition of build

Verb

1. (transitive) To form (something) by combining materials or parts.
• 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate Chapter Prologue, Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. No omnibus, cab, or conveyance ever built could contain a young man in such a rage. His mother lived at Pembridge Square, which is four good measured miles from Lincoln's Inn.
• 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.
2. (transitive) To develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process.
• 2013-06-21, Oliver Burkeman, The tao of tech, The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about …, or offering services that let you..."share the things you love with the world" and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
3. (transitive) To increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to.
• 2013-07-20, The attack of the MOOCs, Since the launch early last year of … two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
4. (transitive) To establish a basis for (something).
5. (intransitive) To form by combining materials or parts.
6. (intransitive) To develop in magnitude or extent.

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The simple past tense and past participle used to be builded; however, that form is now archaic, having been superseded by the form built.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

Antonyms

• (to form by combining materials or parts) demolish, destroy
• (to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to) decrease, dissipate, weaken

Derived terms

Noun

1. (physique) The physique of a human body; constitution or structure of a human body.Rugby players are of sturdy build.
2. (computing) any of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to usersThe computer company has introduced a new prototype build to beta testers.
3. (Internet slang) a structure, nominally an abbreviation of building (see usage notes below).I made a build that looked like the Parthenon in that game.

Usage notes

As internet slang, although the word is nominally an abbreviation of "building", the slang term can refer to any structure or formation created by the player e.g. a statue, a pool, or even a forest.