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:
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
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
“Boys in the alleyway, fondling marbles in their chilblained fingers or plotting Hurley Burley: these would remain foreign to him,” writes Li.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Pip Burley, who worked on the ITV 90s comedy-drama The Darling Buds of May, recalled meeting the Hollywood star in the reception room of his final casting session.
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
That night, as we made ready to sleep, Bear informed me that on the following day we would reach a village by the name of Burley.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
