"bo" meaning in English

See bo in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Interjection

IPA: /bəʊ/ [UK], /boʊ/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav [US]
Rhymes: -əʊ Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-interj}} bo
  1. An exclamation used to startle or frighten. Synonyms: boh, boo Derived forms: bo-peep, peep bo, say bo to a goose
    Sense id: en-bo-en-intj-FeC~DpS~
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /bəʊ/ [UK], /boʊ/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav [US] Forms: bos [plural]
Rhymes: -əʊ Etymology: Probably a shortening of boy. Etymology templates: {{m|en|boy}} boy Head templates: {{en-noun}} bo (plural bos)
  1. (US, slang) Fellow, chap, boy. Tags: US, slang
    Sense id: en-bo-en-noun-YwhN82iD Categories (other): American English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Noun

IPA: /bəʊ/ [UK], /boʊ/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-bo.wav [US] Forms: bos [plural]
Rhymes: -əʊ Etymology: From Japanese 棒 (bō), from Middle Chinese 棒 (bˠʌŋ^X, “staff, club”) (compare modern Chinese 棒 (bàng)). Etymology templates: {{der|en|ja|棒|tr=bō}} Japanese 棒 (bō), {{der|en|ltc|棒||staff, club}} Middle Chinese 棒 (bˠʌŋ^X, “staff, club”), {{cog|zh|棒|tr=bàng}} Chinese 棒 (bàng) Head templates: {{en-noun}} bo (plural bos)
  1. (martial arts) A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context. Categories (topical): Martial arts, Weapons Related terms: bo bian, bo chup, bo jio, bo lei, bo liao, bo tree, sic bo, tio bo, zha bo
    Sense id: en-bo-en-noun-k4a5s0PR Disambiguation of Weapons: 11 16 73 Topics: government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 3

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for bo meaning in English (4.8kB)

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bo",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "bo-peep"
        },
        {
          "word": "peep bo"
        },
        {
          "word": "say bo to a goose"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An exclamation used to startle or frighten."
      ],
      "id": "en-bo-en-intj-FeC~DpS~",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "boh"
        },
        {
          "word": "boo"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/boʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bo"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "boy"
      },
      "expansion": "boy",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "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"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 255",
          "text": "‘Never heard of him,’ he smiled. ‘On your way, bo.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "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 (bˠʌŋ^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 (bˠʌŋ^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": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Martial arts",
          "orig": "en:Martial arts",
          "parents": [
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 16 73",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Weapons",
          "orig": "en:Weapons",
          "parents": [
            "Hunting",
            "Military",
            "Tools",
            "Human activity",
            "Society",
            "Technology",
            "Human behaviour",
            "All topics",
            "Human",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "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."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "bo bian"
        },
        {
          "word": "bo chup"
        },
        {
          "word": "bo jio"
        },
        {
          "word": "bo lei"
        },
        {
          "word": "bo liao"
        },
        {
          "word": "bo tree"
        },
        {
          "word": "sic bo"
        },
        {
          "word": "tio bo"
        },
        {
          "word": "zha bo"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "martial-arts",
        "military",
        "politics",
        "sports",
        "war"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/boʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Bo (weapon)"
  ],
  "word": "bo"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "en:Weapons"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "bo-peep"
    },
    {
      "word": "peep bo"
    },
    {
      "word": "say bo to a goose"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [],
  "etymology_text": "Imitative.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bo",
      "name": "en-interj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An exclamation used to startle or frighten."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bəʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/boʊ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "boh"
    },
    {
      "word": "boo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bo"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "en:Weapons"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "boy"
      },
      "expansion": "boy",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "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": [
        {
          "ref": "1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 255",
          "text": "‘Never heard of him,’ he smiled. ‘On your way, bo.’",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bo"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "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 (bˠʌŋ^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 (bˠʌŋ^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",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "bo bian"
    },
    {
      "word": "bo chup"
    },
    {
      "word": "bo jio"
    },
    {
      "word": "bo lei"
    },
    {
      "word": "bo liao"
    },
    {
      "word": "bo tree"
    },
    {
      "word": "sic bo"
    },
    {
      "word": "tio bo"
    },
    {
      "word": "zha bo"
    }
  ],
  "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"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-əʊ"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "beau"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Bo"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "bow"
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Bo (weapon)"
  ],
  "word": "bo"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). 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.