build

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɪld/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪld
• Homophone: billed

Verb

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

1. (transitive) to form (something) by combining materials or parts
2. (transitive) to develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process
3. (transitive) to increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to
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• The simple past tense and past participle used to be builded; however, that form is now archaic, having been superseded by the form built.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

Terms derived from build (verb)

build a fire under build castles in the air build in build into build on

build on sand build-to build up build upon prebuild

Translations

(transitive) to form by combining materials or parts

• Afrikaans: bou (af)
• Arabic: بنى (ar) (banā)
• Armenian: կառուցել (hy) (kaṙuc'el) , շինել (hy) (šinel) , սարքել (hy) (sark'el) 
• Bulgarian: строя (bg) (stroja)
• Catalan: construir (ca), edificar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 建設 (cmn) (jiànzào), 建设 (cmn) (jiànshè), 建造 (cmn) (jiànzào)

• Czech: stavět (cs)
• Danish: bygge (da)
• Dutch: bouwen (nl)
• Estonian: ehitama (et)
• Ewe: tu
• Finnish: rakentaa (fi)
• French: construire (fr), édifier (fr)
• German: bauen (de)
• Greek: χτίζω (el) (xtízo) 
• Hebrew: בנה (he) (baná)
• Icelandic: byggja (is)
• Ido: konstruktar
• Indonesian: membangun (id), mendirikan (id)
• Irish: tóg (ga)

• Italian: costruire (it), edificare (it)
• Japanese: 建てる (ja) (たてる, tateru), 建設する (ja) (けんせつする, kensetsu suru)
• Jèrriais: construithe, bâti
• Korean: 만들다 (ko) (mandulda)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: دروستکردن

• Latin: mūniō
• Persian: ساختن (fa) (sâxtan)
• Polish: budować (pl)
• Portuguese: construir (pt)
• Romanian: clădi (ro)
• Russian: строить (ru) (stróitʹ)  impf.
• Scots: build, big
• Scottish Gaelic: tog (gd)
• Sotho: haha (st)
• Spanish: construir (es), edificar (es)
• Swahili: kujenga (sw)
• Swedish: anlägga (sv), bygga (sv), förfärdiga (sv), uppföra (sv), uppresa (sv), upprätta (sv)
• Turkish: yapmak (tr), inşa etmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: xây (vi), xây dựng (vi)
• Volapük: bumön (vo)

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

• Swedish: bygga (sv), forma (sv), skapa (sv)

(transitive) to increase or strengthen by adding gradually to

• Dutch: opbouwen (nl)

• Swedish: bygga upp (sv), hopa (sv), stegra (sv), öka (sv)

(transitive) to establish a basis for

• Swedish: bygga (sv), grunda (sv)

(intransitive) to form by combining materials or parts

• Ewe: tu
• Swedish: anläggas (sv), byggas (sv), förfärdigas (sv), uppföras (sv), uppresas (sv), upprättas (sv)

(intransitive) to develop in magnitude or extent

• Swedish: byggas upp (sv), hopa (sv) sig, stegras (sv), ökas (sv)

Noun

build (plural builds)

1. 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 users

   The 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.

Translations

physique

• Bulgarian: телосложение (bg) n (telosloženie)
• Dutch: bouw (nl)
• Finnish: ruumiinrakenne (fi)
• French: carrure (fr) f
• German: Bau (de) m, Körperbau (de) m

• Portuguese: físico (pt) m
• Scottish Gaelic: dèanamh (gd) m
• Swedish: byggnad (sv) c, kroppsbyggnad (sv) c

any version of a software during its development

• Czech: sestavení (cs) n

• Swedish: build (sv) c, bygge (sv) n