burley

[ bur-lee ]

/ ˈbɜr li /

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noun, plural bur·leys.(often initial capital letter)

an American tobacco with thin leaves and light color, grown especially in Kentucky and nearby regions, used mostly in cigarettes.

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Origin of burley

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; apparently from proper name

Words nearby burley

burled, Burleigh, Burleson, burlesque, burletta, burley, burleycue, Burlingame, Burlington, burlwood, burly

Other definitions for burley (2 of 3)

burley²

[ bur-lee ]

/ ˈbɜr li /

noun, plural bur·leys.Informal.

a burlesque show.

Origin of burley

cf. burlecue, burleycue

Other definitions for burley (3 of 3)

Burley

[ bur-lee ]

/ ˈbɜr li /

noun

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use burley in a sentence

Its roots are agrarian, the rich bottomlands of Graves County providing ideal conditions for the burley leaf tobacco my grandfather grew there.
My Family's Hometown Was Destroyed by a Tornado But For Many It Had Already Been Lost|Lee Cole|December 14, 2021|Time
She planned to use her work lunch break to see her doctor in Burley, about nine-and-a-half miles away.
Idaho Woman Who Gave Birth on Highway: ‘I Had to Pull My Pants Down to Get the Baby Out’|Dale Eisinger|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"There's Burley," said Blackie, clad in a long oilskin and a sou'wester as he checked off the home-coming adventurers.
Tam O' The Scoots|Edgar Wallace
He died in the course of a few days, at the age of seventy-seven, and was buried in Burley churchyard, near Otley.
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents and Strange Events|S. Baring-Gould

"Not so," answered Sir Simon Burley, who had watched the approaching host with a darkening face.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle
Burley lay senseless, stunned by a blow from a mace, and half of the men-at-arms lay littered upon the ground around him.
The White Company|Arthur Conan Doyle
Some minutes before this Mr. Burley rushed from the mansion on Telegraph Hill without meeting or taking formal leave of anybody.
Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

British Dictionary definitions for burley (1 of 2)

burley¹

/ (ˈbɜːlɪ) /

noun, verb

a variant spelling of berley

British Dictionary definitions for burley (2 of 2)

burley²

/ (ˈbɜːlɪ) /

noun

a light thin-leaved tobacco, grown esp in Kentucky

Word Origin for burley

C19: probably from the name Burley

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