Burmese

[ ber-meez, ‐mees ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to Burma (now Myanmar), its inhabitants, or their language.

noun,plural Bur·mese.
  1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (now Myanmar).

  1. the Tibeto-Burman language of the Burman ethnic group: the official language of Burma (now Myanmar).

Origin of Burmese

1
First recorded in 1815–25; Burm(a) + -ese

usage note For Burmese

Burmese is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by the Burmese ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Burmese ).

Words Nearby Burmese

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

How to use Burmese in a sentence

  • But that part of the Burmese army stationed at Arracan, under the command of Bandoola, had been more successful.

  • The hero, having an uncle, a trader on the Indian and Burmese rivers, goes out to join him.

    A Roving Commission | G. A. Henty
  • It is a good thing we brought Ramaswamy with us, for he can speak Burmese and interpret for us; the monk knows no English.

  • It was a grand idea thus to preserve indelibly on stone the whole Burmese Bible.

  • This is a grand chance, because Burmese pwés are very funny things indeed.

British Dictionary definitions for Burmese

Burmese

/ (bɜːˈmiːz) /


adjectiveAlso: Burman
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Burma (Myanmar), its people, or their language

nounplural -mese
  1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (Myanmar)

  2. the official language of Burma (Myanmar), belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

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