| Date: | 1600-1700 |
| Origin: | BOUND41 |
1 [countable] the real or imaginary line that marks the edge of a state, country etc, or the edge of an area of land that belongs to someone COLLOCATIONS 
national/state/city etc boundary (=a boundary between countries, states, cities etc) geographical/natural boundary (=a river, line of mountains etc that form a boundary) political boundary (=an official recognized boundary) mark a boundary cross a boundary boundary wall/fence boundary line boundary dispute (=a disagreement about where a boundary should be)

national/state/city etc boundary (=a boundary between countries, states, cities etc) geographical/natural boundary (=a river, line of mountains etc that form a boundary) political boundary (=an official recognized boundary) mark a boundary cross a boundary boundary wall/fence boundary line boundary dispute (=a disagreement about where a boundary should be)
2 [countable usually plural] the limit of what is acceptable or thought to be possible
push back the boundaries (of something) (=to make a new discovery, work of art etc that is very different from what people have known before, and that changes the way they think)
art that pushes back the boundaries
art that pushes back the boundaries3 [countable] the point at which one feeling, idea, quality etc stops and another starts
boundary of/between
the boundaries between work and play
the blurring of the boundaries between high and popular culture
the boundaries between work and play
the blurring of the boundaries between high and popular culture4 [countable]DSC the outer limit of the playing area in cricket, or a shot that sends the ball across this limit for extra points

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