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bold (bōld)
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adj. bold·er, bold·est
1.
a. Fearless and daring; courageous: a bold leader.
b. Requiring or exhibiting courage or daring: a bold voyage to unknown lands. See Synonyms at brave.
2. Unduly forward and brazen; impudent: a bold, sassy child.
3. Strikingly different or unconventional; arresting or provocative: "[He] laid out a bold, new vision for America's leading universities" (Jerome Karabel).
4.
a. Clear and distinct to the eye; conspicuous: bold colors; a bold pattern.
b. Strong or pronounced; prominent: the bold flavor of ginger.
5. Steep or abrupt in grade or terrain: "The two walk along the high, bold, rocky shore" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
6. Printing Boldface.
[Middle English, from Old English bald; see bhel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
boldly adv.
boldness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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