burl

[ burl ]

/ bɜrl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR burl ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a small knot or lump in wool, thread, or cloth.

a dome-shaped growth on the trunk of a tree; a wartlike structure sometimes 2 feet (0.6 meters) across and 1 foot (0.3 meters) or more in height, sliced to make veneer.

verb (used with object)

to remove burls from (cloth) in finishing.

Nearby words

burkinabé, burkini, burkitt, burkitt lymphoma, burkitt's lymphoma, burl, burladero, burlap, burlecue, burled, burleigh

Origin of burl

1400–50; late Middle English burle ≪ Old French; akin to Medieval Latin burla bunch, sheaf, Late Latin burra wool, fluff

Related forms

burl·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for burl

Scouting Report: Size-wise, Bob Costas (Syracuse '74) is clearly the underdog next to Oscar-winner Burl "Big Daddy" Ives.
March Madness: Which Celebrity Alumni Will Win?|Michael Solomon|March 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Burl watched it drop down with the speed and sureness of an arrow, pull aside a heavy, flat stone, and descend into the ground.
The Mad Planet|Murray Leinster
Once Burl was spied, and a shrill cry sounded, but he moved on and only a single ant rushed after him.
The Forgotten Planet|Murray Leinster
It was the feeling Burl had felt in becoming the tribal leader.
Nightmare Planet|Murray Leinster

Crouching in the back, Burl, Russ, and Ferrati hastily reloaded.
The Secret of the Ninth Planet|Donald Allen Wollheim
They gathered about Burl because of an example set by the woman who had left her three-year-old child behind.
Nightmare Planet|Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for burl (1 of 2)

burl

/ (bɜːl) /

noun

a small knot or lump in wool

a roundish warty outgrowth from the trunk, roots, or branches of certain trees

verb

(tr) to remove the burls from (cloth)

Derived Forms

burler, noun

Word Origin for burl

C15: from Old French burle tuft of wool, probably ultimately from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth

British Dictionary definitions for burl (2 of 2)

burl

birl

/ (bɜːl) /

noun informal

Scot, Australian and NZ an attempt; try (esp in the phrase give it a burl)

Australian and NZ a ride in a car

Word Origin for burl

C20: perhaps from birl 1 in the Scot sense: a twist or turn

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

Science definitions for burl

burl

[ bûrl ]

A large, rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree. Burls develop from one or more twig buds whose cells continue to multiply but never differentiate so that the twig can elongate into a limb. Burls do not usually cause harm to trees.