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frontier

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionaryfron·tier \ˌfrən-ˈtir, ˈfrən-ˌ, frän-ˈ, ˈfrän-ˌ\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English fronter, from Anglo-French frountere, fronter, from front DATE 15th century1. a. a border between two countries b. obsolete : a stronghold on a frontier2. a. a region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory b. the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject c. a line of division between different or opposed things the frontiers separating science and the humanities — R. W. Clark d. a new field for exploitative or developmental activity• frontier adjectiveEnglish Etymologyfrontier c.1400, from O.Frhttp://O.Fr. fronter, from front "brow" (see front). Originally the front line of an army, sense of "borderland" is first attested 1413. In reference to N.Amer., from 1676; later with a specific sense:"What is the frontier? ... In the census reports it is treated as the margin of that settlement which has a density of two or more to the square mile." [F.J. Turner, "The Frontier in American History"]Frontiersman is from 1782.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7frontierfron·tier / 5frQntiE(r); NAmE frQn5tir / noun1. (BrE) [C] ~ (between A and B) | ~ (with sth) a line that separates two countries, etc.; the land near this line 国界；边界；边境: the frontier between the land of the Saxons and that of the Danes 撒克逊人土地和古斯堪的纳维亚人土地的边界 a customs post on the frontier with Italy 意大利边境海关关卡 a frontier town / zone / post 边陲小镇；边疆地带；边防站 ⇨ note at border 2. the frontier [sing.] the edge of land where people live and have built towns, beyond which the country is wild and unknown, especially in the western US in the 19th century (尤指 19 世纪美国西部的)开发地区边缘地带,边远地区: a remote frontier settlement 边远地区定居点 3. [C, usually pl.] ~ (of sth) the limit of sth, especially the limit of what is known about a particular subject or activity (学科或活动的)尖端,边缘: to push back the frontiers of science (= to increase knowledge of science) 开拓科学新领域 to roll back the frontiers of government (= to limit the powers of the government) 限制政府权力 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishfrontier noun 1 border between countries ADJ. common Neither country would guarantee the integrity of their common frontier. | eastern, northern, etc. There were very few border controls on the south-western frontier. | Franco-Spanish, Hispano-French, Spanish-French, French, etc. VERB + FRONTIER cross The army crossed the frontier in the middle of the night. | control, defend, guard The rebels control the frontier and the surrounding area. FRONTIER + NOUN controls, post | guard | area, province, region, town, zone | line PREP. across the ~ Many people travelling across the frontier were illegal immigrants. | along the ~ an army grouping along the frontier | at the ~ There was an army checkpoint at the frontier. | on the ~ people living on the German frontier | over the ~ They were forced to retreat back over the frontier. | ~ between the frontier between India and Pakistan | ~ with France's frontier with Germany 2 border between what we know and do not know ADJ. final, new VERB + FRONTIER explore Space is the final frontier for us to explore. | advance, push back The scientists' work will push back the frontiers of physics. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Editionn. Function: adjective Synonyms: BACK 1, outlandish, remote, unsettledn. Function: noun 1 a region between two countries FF1C;lived on the frontierbetween Mexico and the U.S.FF1E; Synonyms: border, borderland, march, marchland 2 a rural region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory FF1C;living on the frontier was a hard lifeFF1E; Synonyms: backcountry, backland, ||backveld, backwash, backwater, backwoods, ||boondocks, ||boonies, bush, hinterland, ||outback, sticks, up-country Idioms: the back of beyondWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridgedfron·tierI. \ˌfrən.ˈti(ə)r, -ˈtiə, ˈ ̷ ̷.ˌ ̷ ̷ also frän.ˈ- or ˈfrän.ˌ- sometimes _frən.ˈ-, chiefly Brit ˈ ̷ ̷._tiə(r or ˈ ̷ ̷._tyə(r\ noun(-s)Etymology: Middle English frounter, fronter, from Middle French frontiere, from front — more at front1. a. (1) : a part of a country that fronts or faces another country < the inhabitants of the frontier between Canada and the U.S. > specifically : a demarcated boundary between countries < crossed the frontier into Mexico > (2) : a boundary between territorial units < lived on the edge of the river that defined the frontier between the two counties > b. obsolete : barrier, defense; specifically : a stronghold upon a border province or frontier2. a. : a typically shifting or advancing zone or region especially in No. America that marks the successive limits of settlement and civilization : a zone or region that forms the margin of settled or developed territory < the frontier, where people … lead rough lives and seldom meet together for pleasure — Willa Cather > b. : an area (as of thought or investigation) that constitutes the most advanced, obscure, or unexploited field or line of inquiry with respect to a particular subject : the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement < the latest frontiers of linguistic research > < the study advances appreciably the frontier of political analysis — R.M.Goldman > < progress on the atomic frontier last week — Time > < work on one of the frontiers of modern science — the geology of the deeper parts of the earth's crust — W.H.Bucher > c. : a line of division between different or opposed things < the frontier of drama and melodrama is vague — T.S.Eliot > d. : a new or relatively unexploited field that offers scope for large exploitative or developmental activity < a large economic frontier right at home — T.J.Kreps > < is television destined to become a great new educational frontier — Mich. Alumnus > < the frontiers of the future are marketing frontiers — Bud Wilson >II. adjective1. : situated on a frontier between countries : bordering, conterminous < all frontier garrisons were ordered withdrawn >2. : of or relating to a frontier especially in No. America :characteristic of people living on such a frontier < turning to the task with typical frontier ingenuity — R.A.Billington > < the hardships of frontier life > < one of the last real frontier towns >3. : advancing or pushing back the frontiers of knowledge or achievement : exploratory, pioneering < frontier research in the humanities — C.E.Odegaard > < a frontier report in the field >III. transitive verb(-ed/-ing/-s)archaic : border, face

Frontier A The Line Frontier Back Border Region