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burgess

[ bur-jis ]
/ ˈbɜr dʒɪs /
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noun
American History. a representative in the popular branch of the colonial legislature of Virginia or Maryland.
(formerly) a representative of a borough in the British Parliament.
Rare. an inhabitant of an English borough.
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Origin of burgess

1175–1225; Middle English burgeis<Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to burg city (<Germanic ) + -eis<Latin -ēnsis-ensis; cf. -ese

Other definitions for burgess (2 of 2)

Burgess
[ bur-jis ]
/ ˈbɜr dʒɪs /

noun
Anthony, 1917–93, English novelist and critic.
(Frank) Ge·lett [juh-let], /dʒəˈlɛt/, 1866–1951, U.S. illustrator and humorist.
Thornton Waldo, 1874–1965, U.S. author, especially of children's books.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use burgess in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for burgess (1 of 2)

burgess
/ (ˈbɜːdʒɪs) /

noun
(in England)
  1. a citizen or freeman of a borough
  2. any inhabitant of a borough
English history a Member of Parliament from a borough, corporate town, or university
a member of the colonial assembly of Maryland or Virginia

Word Origin for burgess

C13: from Old French burgeis, from borc town, from Late Latin burgus, of Germanic origin; see borough

British Dictionary definitions for burgess (2 of 2)

Burgess
/ (ˈbɜːdʒɪs) /

noun
Anthony, real name John Burgess Wilson . 1917–93, English novelist and critic: his novels include A Clockwork Orange (1962), Tremor of Intent (1966), Earthly Powers (1980), and Any Old Iron (1989)
Guy . 1911–63, British spy, who fled to the Soviet Union (with Donald Maclean) in 1951
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
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