bode

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bəʊd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /boʊd/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Homophone: bowed (etymology 2)
• Rhymes: -əʊd

The verb is derived partly from the following:

• From Middle English boden, bodian (“to be a sign or symbol, betoken, signify; to be an omen of a future event, forebode, foreshadow; to foretell, presage; to command, order; to deliver a message, proclaim, report; to preach”),^[1] from Old English bodian (“to announce, proclaim, tell; to foretell, prophesy; to preach; etc.”),^[2][3] from Proto-West Germanic *bodōn (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), from Proto-Germanic *budōną (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake; to be aware”). Doublet of bid (“to make an attempt; to make an offer”).
• A back-formation from forebode.

The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“foreboding, omen; message, report; command, edict; (Christianity) commandment; etc.”),^[4] from Old English bod (“command, edict, order”),^[5] from Proto-West Germanic *bod (“command, mandate, order”), from Proto-Germanic *budą (“message; offer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (see above).^[6]

bode (third-person singular simple present bodes, present participle boding, simple past and past participle boded)

1. (transitive)
   1. Of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); to portend.

      Synonym: betoken

      • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature B2, recto:

        But in the thought and ſcope of my opinion, / This bodes ſome ſtrange eruption to the ſtate.

      • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 11, column 1:

        O heauen; O earth, beare vvitness to this ſound, / And crovvne vvhat I profeſſe vvith kinde euent / If I ſpeake true: If hollovvly inuert / VVhat beſt is boaded me, to miſchiefe: I, / Beyond all limit of vvhat elſe i'th vvorld, / Do loue, prize, honor you.

      • 1823, Lord Byron, “Werner; or, The Inheritance”, in Werner, a Tragedy, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 60:

        But so much haste bodes / Right little speed, and— […]

      • 1892, Elizabeth G[reen Davey] Birkmaier, “The Pelasgian Captives”, in Poseidon’s Paradise: The Romance of Atlantis, San Francisco, Calif.: The Clemens Publishing Co. […], →OCLC, page 43:

        It bodeth evil for Atlantis that I come back with my spirit sore to find Oltis stepping into the place of high priest.

   2. (archaic) To declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs; to foretell, to predict; specifically, to predict (something undesirable); to forebode.

      Synonyms: augur, presage; see also Thesaurus:predict

      • 1715, Homer, translated by Alexander Pope, “Book I”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 7, lines 131–132:

        Augur accurſt! denouncing Miſchief ſtill, / Prophet of Plagues, for ever boding Ill!

      • 1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XLI”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 208:

        Forgive my Impatience: But my preſaging Mind bodes horrid Miſchiefs!

      • 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 167:

        There are croakers in every country, always boding its ruin.

      • 1845, “Book III”, in The Vicarage, London: F[rancis] and J[ohn] Rivington […], page 65:

        Thou bodedst thence, long erst, the Church's fall,— / Allowing but the span of human life, / Till that should come, which would be little joy / To those who should behold her desolate.

      • 1895, Snorri Sturluson, “The Story of Olaf the Quiet. Chapter X. Of a Soothsayer.”, in William Morris, Eiríkr [i.e., Eiríkur] Magnússon, transl., The Stories of the Kings of Norway Called the Round of the World (Heimskringla) […] (The Saga Library; V), volume III, London: Bernard Quaritch, […], →OCLC, page 200:

        Therewith flew another crow over the ship and screeched. Therewith the bonder heedeth no longer the rowing, and the oar became loose in his hand. Then said the king: "Much thou bodest of that crow, bonder, or of what it saith." The bonder said: "Lord, now it misgiveth me thereof."

2. (intransitive) Often followed by ill or well: of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of something.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act II, page 26:

     VVhat ever novv / The Omen prove, it boded vvell to you.

   • 1861, James T[raill] Calder, quoting an anonymous poet, chapter IX, in Sketch of the Civil and Traditional History of Caithness, from the Tenth Century, Glasgow: Thomas Murray and Son […], →OCLC, page 129:

     "Vile wretch!" the angry chief replied, / "Thou ever bodest ill; / If I had but thee in my power, / Thy heart's blood I would spill."

   • 1870, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XXXI, in Lothair. […], volume III, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 270:

     The period and policy of Julian are returning. Some think this bodes ill for the Church; no, it is the State that will suffer.

   • 2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield … by Rail”, in Rail, number 999, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 25:

     Recent investment by Sellafield and DRS in new wagons and more environmentally friendly traction bodes well for the future of one of the UK's last remaining internal rail networks and for the dedicated team who operate and maintain it.

   • 2025, Marie Bostwick, “The Definition of Fun”, in The Book Club for Troublesome Women […], Nashville, Tenn.: Harper Muse, HarperCollins Focus, →ISBN, page 72:

     [S]he'd also received a backstage tour of a national magazine and star treatment from its publisher, all of which seemed to bode well for the future of her little column.

bode (plural bodes)

1. A feeling that something is going to happen; a premonition, a presentiment.
2. (obsolete)
   1. An indication, an omen, a sign.

      Synonyms: augury, foreshadowing

      • 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of Ionia and Other Countries in that Chersonesus.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book III (Of the Arabians, Saracens, Turkes, and of the Ancient Inhabitants of Asia Minor, and of Their Religions), page 285:

        [A]t Myræ in Lycia, vvas the fountaine of Apollo Curius, vvhere the fiſhes being three times called vvith a Pipe, aſſembled themſelues, and if they deuoured the meats giuen them, it vvas interpreted a good bode and happie preſage: if they ſtrucke avvay the ſame vvith their tailes, it vvas direfull and dreadfull.

      • 1632, Iames Shirley [i.e., James Shirley], “Epilogus”, in Changes: Or, Love in a Maze. A Comedie, […], London: […] G. P. for William Cooke, […], →OCLC:

        Ovr Poet […] deſires that yee / VVould not diſtaſte his Muſe, becauſe of late / Tranſplanted, vvhich vvould grovv here, if no fate / Have an unlucky bode […]

   2. A message; also, news, tidings.
      • 1637 June 25 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Rutherford, “To Marion M‘Naught”, in Mr. Rutherfoord’s Letters, […], 5th edition, Edinburgh: […] Thomas Lumisden and John Robertson, […], published 1724, →OCLC, page 72:

        I muſt tell you vvhat lovely Jeſus, fair Jeſus, King Jeſus hath done to my ſoul; ſometimes he ſendeth me out a ſtanding drink, and vvhiſpereth a vvord thorovv the vvall; and I am vvell content of kindneſs at the ſecond hand; his bode is ever vvelcome to me, be vvhat it vvill; […]

      • 1805, George Ellis, quoting [unknown author], “History of Richard Cœur de Lion”, in Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances, Chiefly Written during the Early Part of the Fourteenth Century; […], volume II, London: […] [R[ichard] Taylor and Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […]; Edinburgh: A[rchibald] Constable and Co., published 1805, →OCLC, page 232:

        Thorough counsel I shall you answer, / What bode ye shall to your lord bear.

        A modernized version of an early-14th-century Middle English poem.

• bodeful
• bodeword (obsolete)
• misbode (noun) (obsolete)

The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“act of bargaining or offering, or the subject of the bargain or offer; promise; proposal”),^[4] the same word stated in etymology 1.^[6] Doublet of bid.

The verb is probably derived from the noun.^[7]

bode (plural bodes)

1. (Northern England, Scotland) An offer to pay a certain amount of money for something; a bid.
   • 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in The Antiquary. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 215:

     Na, na, Captain; ye're ower young and ower free o' your siller [silver]—ye should never tak a fish-wife's first bode; […]

• bud (“a bribe”) (Scotland, obsolete)

bode (third-person singular simple present bodes, present participle boding, simple past and past participle boded)

1. (transitive, Scotland) To make a bid or offer for (something); to bid, to offer.
   • 1721, James Kelly, A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs Explained and Made Intelligible to the English Reader, London: […] William and John Innys […], and John Osborn […], →OCLC, paragraphs 52–53, page 63:

     52. Bode good, and get it. / 53. Bode a Robe, and wear it; bode a Sack, and bear it. / Speak heartily, and expect Good, and it vvill fall out accordingly.

From Middle English bode (“emissary, messenger”),^[8] from Old English boda (“herald, messenger; prophet”),^[9] from Proto-West Germanic *bodō, from Proto-Germanic *budô (“messenger”), from *beudaną (“to bid, offer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake; to be aware”) (compare etymology 1).^[10]

bode (plural bodes)

1. (obsolete except historical) A herald; a messenger.
   • 1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter III, in Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings; […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, book II (Lanfranc the Scholar), page 138:

     [T]he fame of the Duke's coming was sent abroad by the bodes or messengers, despatched to prepare the towns through which he was to pass for an arrival sooner than expected, […]

• Bode (male given name; surname)

From Middle English bod, bode, bade, baide;^[11] further etymology uncertain, probably:^[12]

• an aphetic form of abod (“act of waiting, delay”),^[13] probably related to Old English bād (“expectation; waiting”),^[14] from Proto-West Germanic *baidu, from Proto-Germanic *baidō; and/or
• a variant of bide (“act of delaying; a delay”),^[15] from Old English bīd (“act of abiding; delay”),^[16] related to bīdan (“to remain, stay; to wait”),^[17] from Proto-West Germanic *bīdan (“to wait”), from Proto-Germanic *bīdaną (“to await, wait”) (whence modern English abide, bide), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to convince; to trust”).

bode (plural bodes)

1. (chiefly Scotland, obsolete) An act of biding or waiting; a wait; also, a delay.

   Synonym: tarrying

   • 1593, [George Peele], The Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First, […], London: […] Abell Ieffes, and are to be solde by William Barley, […], →OCLC, signature C3, recto:

     [M]ake thou thy boade, / In reſolution to reuenge theſe vvronges, / VVith bloud of thouſands guiltleſſe of this rage, / Flie thou on them amaine: […]

An inflected form of bide.

bode

1. simple past of bide

• Joseph Wright, editor (1898), “BODE, v.¹, v.², v.³”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume I (A–C), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC, pages 322–323.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “bode”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• “bode, bod, n.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.
• “bode, bod, v.¹”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.
• “bode, v.²”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.

• bedo, Obed, dobe, Dobe, Debo

Borrowed from English body.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɓó.ɗe/

bóde class 5 (plural mabóde class 6)

1. body of a lorry

• IPA^(key): [ˈbodɛ]
• Rhymes: -odɛ
• Hyphenation: bo‧de

bode

1. vocative singular of bod

• IPA^(key): /ˈboːdə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bo‧de
• Rhymes: -oːdə

From Middle Dutch bōde, from Old Dutch bodo, from Proto-Germanic *budô.

bode m or f (plural boden or bodes, diminutive bodetje n)

1. messenger, deliverer

   Synonym: boodschapper

2. servant

   Synonyms: bediende, dienaar, dienstbode, knecht

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

bode

1. (dated or formal) singular past subjunctive of bieden

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]

Unknown. Probably from Paleo-Hispanic.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔðe̝/

bode m (plural bodes)

1. buck, billy goat

   Synonyms: castrón, godallo

2. goatskin

   Synonym: fol

• bode seixo

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “bode”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “bode”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “bode”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “bode”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “bode”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

bode

1. (intransitive) to stop

• Rina, A. Dj.; Kabba, John Lado B. (2011), “bode”, in Kamus Bahasa Lamboya, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat [Dictionary of Lamboya Language, West Sumba Regency], Waikabubak: Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata, Kabupaten Sumba Bakat, page 10

From Old Dutch bodo, from Proto-Germanic *budô.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔːdə/

bōde m

1. messenger
2. servant

• Dutch: bode

• “bode (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “bode (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I

From Old English boda.

bode

1. messenger
2. omen
   • c. 1380s, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowles

     The oule eek, that of dethe the bode bringeth.

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• English: bode

bode

1. (Early Middle English, Worcestershire) alternative form of bede

bode

1. past participle of by

• IPA^(key): /ˈbo.de/

bode

1. dative singular of bod

From Middle Low German bāden, from Old Saxon *bathōn, from Proto-West Germanic *baþōn.

bode

1. to bathe, to lave

Unknown. Probably from Paleo-Hispanic. Or, possibly of Germanic origin, borrowed through Spanish bode.^[1]

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Homophone: body (Brazil, one pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -ɔdi, -ɔdʒi, -ɔdɨ
• Hyphenation: bo‧de

bode m (plural bodes)

1. goat buck, billy goat, ram (a male goat)

   Synonym: cabrão

2. (Brazil, slang, chiefly in the singular) a general feeling of indisposition, sadness, or fatigue

   Synonyms: prostração, abatimento, indisposição, tristeza

   Ele acordou de bode esse domingo.

   He woke up indisposed this Sunday.

   Me deu bode de fazer a lição de casa.

   I don't feel like doing my homework.

   1. (Brazil, slang, chiefly in the singular) the feeling of indisposition, tiredness, or sleepiness resulting from drug consumption

      Coordinate term: larica

   2. (Brazil, slang, by extension, chiefly in the singular) annoyance, grievance with a person or thing

      Synonym: ranço

      Fiquei com bode dessa menina: ela vive me criticando!

      I'm tired of this chick: she always criticizes me!

      • 2024 November 2, neileitte, Twitter‎^[1]:

        Eu tava tão ansioso pra esse na época e peguei bode dela pela transfobia

        I was so excited for this one at the time and then I got sick of her because of her transphobia

3. (slang) a man who wears a goatee
4. (slang, derogatory) a smelly person
5. (slang, derogatory) an ugly person
6. (Brazil, slang) a problem, a difficult situation

   Synonyms: encrenca, problema

7. (Brazil, slang) someone who is lustful; a horny person

   Synonym: tarado

• “bode”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “bode”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “bode”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “bode”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026

bode (Cyrillic spelling боде)

1. third-person singular present of bosti

Inherited from Old Spanish bote, from Medieval Latin buccus, of Germanic origin, see also German Bock.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbode/ [ˈbo.ð̞e]
• Rhymes: -ode
• Syllabification: bo‧de

bode m (plural bodes)

1. goat buck

   Synonym: cabrón

• “bode”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• Roberts, Edward A. (2014), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language with Families of Words based on Indo-European Roots, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN

bode

1. dative singular of bod

From ibi +‎ o +‎ dè.

• IPA^(key): /bō.dè/

bodè

1. city gate

   Synonym: ibodè

2. (by extension) a point of entry; entrance

   Synonyms: àbáwọlé, ibodè

• oníbodè (“gatekeeper”)