build

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To form by combining materials or parts; construct.
2. v. To order, finance, or supervise the construction of: The administration built several new housing projects.
3. v. To develop or give form to according to a plan or process; create: build a nation; built a successful business out of their corner grocery store.
4. v. To increase or strengthen by adding gradually to: money building interest in a savings account; build support for a political candidate.
5. v. To establish a basis for; found or ground: build an argument on fact.
6. v. To make something by combining materials or parts.
7. v. To engage in the construction or design of buildings: "Each of the three architects built in a different style” ( Dwight Macdonald).
8. v. To develop in magnitude or extent: clouds building on the horizon.
9. v. To progress toward a maximum, as of intensity: suspense building from the opening scene to the climax.
10. n. The physical makeup of a person or thing; physique: an athletic build.
11. n. Computer Science Any of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to users.
12. in To construct or include as an integral part of: a wall with shelving that was built in; build stability into the economy.
13. on To use as a basis or foundation: We must build on our recent success.
14. build up To develop or increase in stages or by degrees: built up the business; building up my endurance for the marathon.
15. build up To accumulate or collect: sediment building up on the ocean floor.
16. build up To bolster: build up the product with a massive ad campaign; built up my hopes after the interview.
17. build up To fill up (an area) with buildings.
18. idiom. build on sand To provide with an unstable foundation: Having bought only high-risk stocks, my portfolio was built on sand.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To frame or construct, as an edifice; form by uniting materials into a regular structure; erect.
2. Figuratively— To form by art in any way; construct.
3. To raise as on a support or foundation; rear.
4. To establish, increase, and strengthen: generally with up: as, to build up a fine business; to build up a character.
5. To exercise the art or practise the business of building; construct.
6. Figuratively, to rear, erect, or construct anything, as a plan or a system of thought.
7. To rest or depend, as on a foundation; base; rely: with on or upon.
8. n. Manner of construction; make; form: as, the build of a ship.
9. In casino, to combine certain cards so that their total pip-value equals that of a single card in the player's hand.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive to form (something) by combining materials or parts
2. v. transitive to develop or give form to (something) according to a plan or process
3. v. transitive to increase or strengthen (something) by adding gradually to
4. v. transitive to establish a basis for (something)
5. v. intransitive to form by combining materials or parts
6. v. intransitive to develop in magnitude or extent
7. n. The physique of a human body; constitution or structure of a human body.
8. n. computing any of various versions of a software product as it is being developed for release to users
9. n. Internet slang a structure, nominally an abbreviation of building (see usage notes below).

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To erect or construct, as an edifice or fabric of any kind; to form by uniting materials into a regular structure; to fabricate; to make; to raise.
2. v. To raise or place on a foundation; to form, establish, or produce by using appropriate means.
3. v. To increase and strengthen; to increase the power and stability of; to settle, or establish, and preserve; -- frequently with up.
4. v. To exercise the art, or practice the business, of building.
5. v. To rest or depend, as on a foundation; to ground one's self or one's hopes or opinions upon something deemed reliable; to rely.
6. n. Form or mode of construction; general figure; make.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. order, supervise, or finance the construction of
2. n. constitution of the human body
3. v. give form to, according to a plan
4. v. develop and grow
5. v. improve the cleansing action of
6. v. found or ground
7. v. build or establish something abstract
8. v. be engaged in building
9. v. make by combining materials and parts
10. v. bolster or strengthen
11. v. form or accumulate steadily
12. n. alternative names for the body of a human being