burton

1
[ bur-tn ]

nounNautical.
  1. any of various small tackles for use on shipboard.

Origin of burton

1
1695–1705; probably by metathesis from Breton (takles), Brytton (takles) (late 15th cent.); see Breton, Briton

Words Nearby burton

Other definitions for burton (2 of 3)

burton2
[ bur-tn ]

Verb Phrases
  1. go for a burton, British Slang.

    • to be lost, missing, or destroyed.

    • to die.

Origin of burton

2
First recorded in 1940–45; origin unclear

Other definitions for Burton (3 of 3)

Burton
[ bur-tn ]

noun
  1. Harold Hitz [hits], /hɪts/, 1888–1964, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1945–58.

  2. Sir Richard Richard Jenkins, 1925–84, English actor, born in Wales.

  1. Sir Richard Francis, 1821–90, English explorer, Orientalist, and writer.

  2. Robert "Democritus Junior", 1577–1640, English clergyman and author.

  3. a town in central Michigan.

  4. a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use burton in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for burton (1 of 2)

burton

/ (ˈbɜːtən) /


noun
  1. nautical a kind of light hoisting tackle

  2. go for a burton British slang

    • to be broken, useless, or lost

    • to die

Origin of burton

1
C15: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for Burton (2 of 2)

Burton

/ (ˈbɜːtən) /


noun
  1. Sir Richard Francis . 1821–90, English explorer, Orientalist, and writer who discovered Lake Tanganyika with John Speke (1858); produced the first unabridged translation of The Thousand Nights and a Night (1885–88)

  2. Richard, real name Richard Jenkins . 1925–84, Welsh stage and film actor: films include Becket (1964), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), and Equus (1977)

  1. Robert, pen name Democritus Junior . 1577–1640, English clergyman, scholar, and writer, noted for his Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)

  2. Tim. born 1958, US film director whose work includes Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Corpse Bride (2005), and Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012