See bo in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "boh",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "boo",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "en-interj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "intj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"derived": [
{
"word": "bo-peep"
},
{
"word": "peep bo"
},
{
"word": "say bo to a goose"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
19,
28
]
],
"ref": "1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 37, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:",
"text": "We may fairely cry bo-bo-boe; it may well make us hoarse, but it will nothing advaunce it.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An exclamation used to startle or frighten."
],
"id": "en-bo-en-intj-FeC~DpS~"
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_text": "Probably a shortening of boy.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bos",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo (plural bos)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "American English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "15 32 11 24 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English 2-letter words",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
47,
49
]
],
"ref": "1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 255:",
"text": "‘Never heard of him,’ he smiled. ‘On your way, bo.’",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Fellow, chap, boy."
],
"id": "en-bo-en-noun-YwhN82iD",
"links": [
[
"Fellow",
"fellow"
],
[
"chap",
"chap"
],
[
"boy",
"boy"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US, slang) Fellow, chap, boy."
],
"tags": [
"US",
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"etymology_number": 3,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ja",
"3": "棒",
"tr": "bō"
},
"expansion": "Japanese 棒 (bō)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ltc",
"3": "棒",
"4": "",
"5": "staff, club"
},
"expansion": "Middle Chinese 棒 (baewng^X, “staff, club”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "zh",
"2": "棒",
"tr": "bàng"
},
"expansion": "Chinese 棒 (bàng)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Japanese 棒 (bō), from Middle Chinese 棒 (baewng^X, “staff, club”) (compare modern Chinese 棒 (bàng)).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bos",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo (plural bos)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Martial arts",
"orig": "en:Martial arts",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context."
],
"id": "en-bo-en-noun-k4a5s0PR",
"links": [
[
"martial arts",
"martial arts"
],
[
"quarterstaff",
"quarterstaff"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(martial arts) A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context."
],
"topics": [
"government",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"martial-arts",
"military",
"politics",
"sports",
"war"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Bo (weapon)"
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"etymology_number": 4,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "無",
"tr": "bô"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien 無 /无 (bô)",
"name": "bor"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Hokkien 無 /无 (bô).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "particle",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "en-particle"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "particle",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "tio bo"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo bian"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo chup"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo jio"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo liao"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo lei"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "bo tree"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "sic bo"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "zha bo"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singlish",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
6,
11
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
5,
7
]
],
"english": "Good, right?",
"text": "Swee bo?",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Final interrogative particle, used to invite agreement."
],
"id": "en-bo-en-particle-XPFE1-io",
"links": [
[
"agreement",
"agreement#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Singlish, interrogative) Final interrogative particle, used to invite agreement."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"Singlish"
],
"word": "hor?"
}
],
"tags": [
"Singlish",
"interrogative"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singlish",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "13 13 24 8 42",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 20 9 21 39",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English particles",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "8 29 7 17 39",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singapore English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 8 16 5 58",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Weapons",
"orig": "en:Weapons",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Final interrogative particle, forming a yes-no question from a declarative statement."
],
"id": "en-bo-en-particle-p4d8aEO-",
"links": [
[
"yes-no question",
"yes-no question#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Singlish, interrogative) Final interrogative particle, forming a yes-no question from a declarative statement."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"Singlish"
],
"word": "or not"
}
],
"tags": [
"Singlish",
"interrogative"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "[boː˨˦]",
"tags": [
"Singapore",
"interrogative"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-letter words",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English interjections",
"English lemmas",
"English particles",
"English terms borrowed from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms with homophones",
"Pages with 53 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ/1 syllable",
"Singapore English",
"en:Weapons"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "bo-peep"
},
{
"word": "peep bo"
},
{
"word": "say bo to a goose"
}
],
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "boh",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "boo",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "en-interj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "intj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
19,
28
]
],
"ref": "1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 37, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:",
"text": "We may fairely cry bo-bo-boe; it may well make us hoarse, but it will nothing advaunce it.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An exclamation used to startle or frighten."
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-letter words",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English particles",
"English terms borrowed from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms with homophones",
"Pages with 53 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ/1 syllable",
"Singapore English",
"en:Weapons"
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_text": "Probably a shortening of boy.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bos",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo (plural bos)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"American English",
"English slang",
"English terms with quotations",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
47,
49
]
],
"ref": "1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 255:",
"text": "‘Never heard of him,’ he smiled. ‘On your way, bo.’",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Fellow, chap, boy."
],
"links": [
[
"Fellow",
"fellow"
],
[
"chap",
"chap"
],
[
"boy",
"boy"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US, slang) Fellow, chap, boy."
],
"tags": [
"US",
"slang"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-letter words",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English particles",
"English terms borrowed from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Japanese",
"English terms derived from Middle Chinese",
"English terms with homophones",
"Pages with 53 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ/1 syllable",
"Singapore English",
"en:Weapons"
],
"etymology_number": 3,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ja",
"3": "棒",
"tr": "bō"
},
"expansion": "Japanese 棒 (bō)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ltc",
"3": "棒",
"4": "",
"5": "staff, club"
},
"expansion": "Middle Chinese 棒 (baewng^X, “staff, club”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "zh",
"2": "棒",
"tr": "bàng"
},
"expansion": "Chinese 棒 (bàng)",
"name": "cog"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Japanese 棒 (bō), from Middle Chinese 棒 (baewng^X, “staff, club”) (compare modern Chinese 棒 (bàng)).",
"forms": [
{
"form": "bos",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo (plural bos)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"en:Martial arts"
],
"glosses": [
"A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context."
],
"links": [
[
"martial arts",
"martial arts"
],
[
"quarterstaff",
"quarterstaff"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(martial arts) A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context."
],
"topics": [
"government",
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"martial-arts",
"military",
"politics",
"sports",
"war"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Bo (weapon)"
],
"word": "bo"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-letter words",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English particles",
"English terms borrowed from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms with homophones",
"Pages with 53 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ",
"Rhymes:English/əʊ/1 syllable",
"Singapore English",
"en:Weapons"
],
"etymology_number": 4,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "無",
"tr": "bô"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien 無 /无 (bô)",
"name": "bor"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Hokkien 無 /无 (bô).",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "particle",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "bo",
"name": "en-particle"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "particle",
"related": [
{
"word": "tio bo"
},
{
"word": "bo bian"
},
{
"word": "bo chup"
},
{
"word": "bo jio"
},
{
"word": "bo liao"
},
{
"word": "bo lei"
},
{
"word": "bo tree"
},
{
"word": "sic bo"
},
{
"word": "zha bo"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples",
"Singlish"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_english_offsets": [
[
6,
11
]
],
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
5,
7
]
],
"english": "Good, right?",
"text": "Swee bo?",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Final interrogative particle, used to invite agreement."
],
"links": [
[
"agreement",
"agreement#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Singlish, interrogative) Final interrogative particle, used to invite agreement."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"Singlish"
],
"word": "hor?"
}
],
"tags": [
"Singlish",
"interrogative"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Singlish"
],
"glosses": [
"Final interrogative particle, forming a yes-no question from a declarative statement."
],
"links": [
[
"yes-no question",
"yes-no question#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Singlish, interrogative) Final interrogative particle, forming a yes-no question from a declarative statement."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"Singlish"
],
"word": "or not"
}
],
"tags": [
"Singlish",
"interrogative"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "[boː˨˦]",
"tags": [
"Singapore",
"interrogative"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/bəʊ/",
"tags": [
"UK"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/boʊ/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-bo.wav.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-əʊ"
},
{
"homophone": "beau"
},
{
"homophone": "Bo"
},
{
"homophone": "bow"
}
],
"word": "bo"
}
Download raw JSONL data for bo meaning in English (8.2kB)
{
"called_from": "wiktionary/179/20240425uppercase_tags",
"msg": "bo/English/intj: invalid uppercase tag General-American not in or uppercase_tags",
"path": [],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "intj",
"title": "bo",
"trace": ""
}
{
"called_from": "wiktionary/179/20240425uppercase_tags",
"msg": "bo/English/noun: invalid uppercase tag General-American not in or uppercase_tags",
"path": [],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "noun",
"title": "bo",
"trace": ""
}
{
"called_from": "wiktionary/179/20240425uppercase_tags",
"msg": "bo/English/noun: invalid uppercase tag General-American not in or uppercase_tags",
"path": [],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "noun",
"title": "bo",
"trace": ""
}
{
"called_from": "wiktionary/179/20240425uppercase_tags",
"msg": "bo/English/particle: invalid uppercase tag General-American not in or uppercase_tags",
"path": [],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "particle",
"title": "bo",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (3dadd05 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.