burley
noun
an American tobacco with thin leaves and light color, grown especially in Kentucky and nearby regions, used mostly in cigarettes.
burley
1 American
[bur-lee]
/ ˈbɜr li /
noun
(often initial capital letter)
-
burleys
plural
burley
2
American
[bur-lee]
/ ˈbɜr li /
noun
Informal.
-
burleys
plural
Burley
3
American
[bur-lee]
/ ˈbɜr li /
noun
burley
1
British
/ ˈbɜːlɪ /
noun
burley
2
British
/ ˈbɜːlɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of burley1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently from proper name
Origin of burley2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Despite others’ qualms about the product, the Tuckers plan to continue to grow burley tobacco as long as it remains economically feasible.
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
There we could grow our own burley tobacco to sell, along with maize and other vegetables to eat.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
"I cannot stress how irresponsible this is," Ross Burley, executive director of the London-based Centre for Information Resilience, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Originally from Croydon, Burley revealed he found The Darling Buds of May easier to write than to cast, with the role of Mariette proving especially hard as "lots of young actresses just didn't excite us".
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Federal Court judge Stephen Burley described how four large open-pit mines, a railway, tailings dam, waste dumps and a stockpile were strewn across the lands of the Yindjibarndi people in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
A Craig Burley goal secured a 1-1 draw in the second game against Norway in Bordeaux.
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 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.
