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bother (v.)

1718, also bauther, bather, bodder, "to bewilder, confuse;" 1745 as "give trouble to," probably from Anglo-Irish pother, because its earliest use was by Irish writers (Sheridan, Swift, Sterne). Perhaps from Irish bodhairim "I deafen." Related: Bothered; bothering. As a noun from 1803.

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Definitions of bother from WordNet
1
bother (v.)
take the trouble to do something; concern oneself;
Don't bother, please
Synonyms: trouble oneself / trouble / inconvenience oneself
bother (v.)
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations;
Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me
Synonyms: annoy / rag / get to / get at / irritate / rile / nark / nettle / gravel / vex / chafe / devil
bother (v.)
to cause inconvenience or discomfort to;
Synonyms: trouble / put out / inconvenience / disoblige / discommode / incommode
bother (v.)
intrude or enter uninvited;
Don't bother the professor while she is grading term papers
bother (v.)
make nervous or agitated;
The mere thought of her bothered him and made his heart beat faster
bother (v.)
make confused or perplexed or puzzled;
2
bother (n.)
an angry disturbance;
a spot of bother
Synonyms: fuss / trouble / hassle
bother (n.)
something or someone that causes trouble; a source of unhappiness;
a bit of a bother
Synonyms: annoyance / botheration / pain / infliction / pain in the neck / pain in the ass
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near bother

botanical

botanist

botany

botch

both

bother

botheration

bothersome

botony

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botryo-

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