bureau

American  

[byoor-oh] / ˈbyʊər oʊ /

noun

plural

bureaus, bureaux

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

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

3. an office for collecting or distributing news or information, coordinating work, or performing specified services; agency.

   a travel bureau; a news bureau.

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

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bureau British  

/ ˈbjʊərəʊ /

noun

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

2. a chest of drawers

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

4. 1. a government department

   2. a branch of a government department

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Other Word Forms

• subbureau noun

Etymology

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 ; bourrée ) + -el noun suffix

Example Sentences

Evidence that hedge funds were reducing their borrowing around this time can be found in data presented by the Office of Financial Research, an independent government bureau that reports to the Treasury Department.

From MarketWatch

The category four system was forecast to bring "destructive wind gusts and heavy rainfall" to some coastal areas, the bureau said.

From Barron's

The bureau warned that offsetting via credits could also allow companies to make claims of carbon-neutrality without cutting their emissions, a practice known as greenwashing.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bureau’s immigration estimates are a net number that reflect people coming to and leaving the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

He previously served as Tokyo bureau chief for a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agency
• authority
• board
• commission
• committee
• department
• division
• office