bur

[ bur ]

/ bɜr /

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noun

a rough, prickly case around the seeds of certain plants, as the chestnut or burdock.

any bur-bearing plant.

something that adheres like a bur.

Dentistry. a rotary cutting tool usually of steel or other hard metal shaped into a shank and a head, for removing carious material from teeth and preparing cavities for filling.

Surgery. a cutting tool resembling that of a dentist, used for the excavation of bone.

verb (used with object), burred, bur·ring.

to extract or remove burs from.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bur

1300–50; Middle English burre, apparently cognate with Danish burre,Norwegian, Swedish borre bur

Words nearby bur

Buppy, buprenorphine, buprestid, bupropion, buqsha, bur, Burakumin, buran, Buraq, Buraydah, burb

Other definitions for bur (2 of 4)

bur²

[ bur ]

/ bɜr /

noun

burr².

Other definitions for bur (3 of 4)

bur.

abbreviation

bureau.

Other definitions for bur (4 of 4)

Bur.

abbreviation

Burma.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bur in a sentence

A person earning 10 dollars a week can see a 100% increase by getting a raise to 20 bucks a week—bur remains impoverished.
The Truth About Older People Having More Sex|Kent Sepkowitz|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Canary bur-rd seed will be very cheap this year, an' anny American wurrukin' man needn't go to bed hungry.
Mr. Dooley Says|Finley Dunne
Riprisintatives iv th' Chicago packers insisted that in time canary bur-rds cud be taught to eat pork chops.
Mr. Dooley Says|Finley Dunne
Here, with the help of their nearest neighbors, they built in a day a cabin of rough, bur-oak logs.
Heroes of To-Day|Mary R. Parkman

It is distinguished from others of the same species by the name of Cubbeer Bur, which was given it in honour of a famous saint.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
Arbor, r′bur, n. the main support of a machine: an axis or spindle on which a wheel revolves.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for bur (1 of 3)

bur

/ (bɜː) /

noun

a seed vessel or flower head, as of burdock, having hooks or prickles

any plant that produces burs

a person or thing that clings like a bur

a small surgical or dental drill

a variant spelling of burr 3, burr 4

verb burs, burring or burred

(tr) to remove burs from

Also (for senses 1–4): burr

Word Origin for bur

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Danish burre bur, Swedish kardborre burdock

British Dictionary definitions for bur (2 of 3)

BUR

abbreviation for

Myanmar (international car registration)

Word Origin for BUR

from Burma

British Dictionary definitions for bur (3 of 3)

Bur.

abbreviation for

Myanmar (Burma)

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

Scientific definitions for bur

bur

A type of pseudocarp in which the outer surface possesses hooks or barbs. Burs become caught in the feathers or hair of animals, which then carry them away to disperse the seeds.