bureau

[ byoor-oh ]

/ ˈbyʊər oʊ /

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See synonyms for bureau on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural bu·reaus, bu·reaux

[byoor-ohz]. /ˈbyʊər oʊz/.

a chest of drawers, often with a mirror at the top.

a division of a government department or an independent administrative unit.

an office for collecting or distributing news or information, coordinating work, or performing specified services; agency: a travel bureau; a news bureau.

Chiefly British. a desk or writing table with drawers for papers.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bureau

1710–20; <French: desk, office, originally a kind of cloth (used to cover desks, etc.), Anglo-French, Old French burel, equivalent to bur- (probably <*būra, variant of Late Latin burra wool, fluff; cf. bourrée) + -el noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM bureau

subbureau, noun, plural sub·bu·reaus, sub·bu·reaux.

Words nearby bureau

burdened, burden of proof, burdensome, burdizzo, burdock, bureau, bureaucracy, bureaucrat, bureaucratese, bureaucratic, bureaucratize

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

How to use bureau in a sentence

Census Bureau officials said that the agency hopes to deliver state population totals to the commerce secretary by April 30, the original date the bureau set after the count was delayed because of the coronavirus.
Census Bureau aims to deliver state population totals by April 30|Brittany Mayes|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
The memo — first reported on by ABC News and later confirmed by The Washington Post — is a raw intelligence product, compiling information gathered by the bureau and several other government agencies, an official said.
FBI report warned of ‘war’ at Capitol, contradicting claims there was no indication of looming violence|Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
The mask rested atop the clutter of my teenage son’s bedroom bureau.
Teen romance in the age of covid: What parents need to know|Elizabeth Heubeck|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
“We are hoping that with the joint efforts we have with different travel bureaus and effective governments such as Singapore, we’ll be able to unleash some of the energy for the pent-up demand,” Sun said.
China is evidence of the world’s pent-up travel demand|Naomi Xu Elegant|December 4, 2020|Fortune

The remaining four board members are high-ranking commanders from each bureau.
Obscure Sheriff’s Review Board Gets New Scrutiny in Court|Ashly McGlone|December 3, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The Bureau keeps publicly condemning Pyongyang for the Sony hack.
FBI Won’t Stop Blaming North Korea for Sony Hack -- Despite New Evidence|Shane Harris|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Back at police headquarters, Chief of Police Michael Floore Sr. ran out of the detective bureau, barking into a walkie talkie.
The Disappearing Cops of East St. Louis|Justin Glawe|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She had a simple answer to my inquiry about the calls that were never returned—from her or anyone else in the detective bureau.
The Disappearing Cops of East St. Louis|Justin Glawe|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the second floor I rang a buzzer at the door of the detective bureau.
The Disappearing Cops of East St. Louis|Justin Glawe|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said that the bureau fully complies with U.S. policy as it relates to ransom payments.
A 26-Year-Old Woman Is ISIS’s Last American Hostage|Shane Harris|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One day Aristide, with an unexpected franc or two in his pocket, stopped in front of a bureau de tabac.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
It has two hundred brethren, and every year twelve of these are chosen, who are called “brethren of the bureau of accounts.”
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
In one of ole Miss's bureau drawers was a large plain linen handkerchief which was never used.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
At the bureau he ordered a couple of packs of cards and a supply of drinks and went to his palatial room on the ground floor.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Every team in Rosewater was bespoken for the distinguished occasion, and the reports of the weather bureau were consulted daily.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for bureau

bureau

/ (ˈbjʊərəʊ) /

noun plural -reaus or -reaux (-rəʊz)

mainly British a writing desk with pigeonholes, drawers, etc, against which the writing surface can be closed when not in use

US a chest of drawers

an office or agency, esp one providing services for the public

a government department
a branch of a government department

Word Origin for bureau

C17: from French: desk, office, originally: type of cloth used for covering desks and tables, from Old French burel, from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth

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

bureau

Origin of bureau

OTHER WORDS FROM bureau

Words nearby bureau

Words related to bureau

How to use bureau in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bureau

Word Origin for bureau