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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.

See Examples For:

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

From Los Angeles Times May 13, 2026

TIA launched a hotline this month for member companies to reach out about cargo and strategic theft; it received more than 40 reports in the first few days, Burroughs said.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 29, 2025

Burroughs even installed a subwoofer speaker beneath the sofa to give the garage the feel of a movie theater during family movie nights.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 22, 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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