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Burroughs

American  
[bur-ohz, buhr-] / ˈbɜr oʊz, ˈbʌr- /

noun

  1. Edgar Rice, 1875–1950, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

  2. John, 1837–1921, U.S. naturalist and essayist.

  3. William Seward, 1855–98, U.S. inventor of the adding machine.

  4. his grandson William S(eward), 1914–1997, U.S. novelist.


Burroughs British  
/ ˈbʌrəʊz /

noun

  1. Edgar Rice . 1875–1950, US novelist, author of the Tarzan stories

  2. William S ( eward ). 1914–97, US novelist, noted for his experimental works exploring themes of drug addiction, violence, and homosexuality. His novels include Junkie (1953), The Naked Lunch (1959), and Interzone (1989)

"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

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.

The thriller stars Sam Worthington as David Burroughs, an imprisoned father wrongfully convicted of murdering his son.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Sadie Burroughs and Sasha Pham each hit home runs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

“They’re trying to find things that are high-value commodities that are easy for them to sell,” Burroughs said, pointing to egg and baby-formula burglaries during shortages in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

His specialty was portraits, many of them of well-known figures from the overlapping artistic-intellectual circles of which he was a part: William Burroughs, Fran Lebowitz and Susan Sontag, to name a few.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

In class, Mrs. Burroughs quizzed us one student at a time, holding up a series of large manila cards and asking us to read whatever word was printed in black letters on the front.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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