An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently from proper name
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In just a few hours, they’ll be back in the fields with a hatchet in one hand and a stalk of burley tobacco in the other.
From New York Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
Wagner met Dillon at the line but the burley 247-pound second-year running back carried him into the end zone.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2021
It also has burley wheels with super-wide-flange hubs, a dropper seat post, and a low center of gravity for great handling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2018
That’s how 60-year-old Laura Donnelly ended up running alongside burley, tattooed men.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 8, 2016
They eagerly traded harsh burley tobaccos then popular for the mild and sweet-tasting bright tobacco they found in Durham.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Burley said Jones won over the room instantly, adding: "I said I think we found our Mariette".
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
The sentencing of Tyler Burley, 18, of Shakespeare Road in Southampton, was adjourned until 30 June for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Burley awarded a "relatively low" financial compensation of about Aus$100,000, based on the freehold value of the land.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
The Nuton name plays on Isaac Newton, the alchemist, as well as the hunt for “a new ton” of copper, which had become elusive via deal or discovery, Burley said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025
But it was like my body hadn’t learned what my brain knew, that I didn’t need to worry about Callum Burley.
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
Trailers, which are sometimes called burleys, are easy to use and the safest choice for toddlers, says Anne Mader, co-owner of the Bike Lane, a shop with locations in Reston and Springfield.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 23, 2020
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
