burrow
a hole or tunnel in the ground made by a rabbit, fox, or similar animal to live or hide in: Even in winter, chipmunks are active in their burrows and emerge on sunny days.
a place of retreat; shelter or refuge: His study is his burrow—we have to coax him out for every meal.
to make a hole or passage in, into, or under something: This small bird can survive cold Arctic nights by burrowing into the snow.
to lodge in an underground hole or tunnel: Many rodents burrow over the winter.
to hide: My cat likes to burrow under the rug and surprise me by jumping out as I walk past.Fleeing fame, he burrowed in a small town to focus on his family for a decade or so.
to proceed by or as if by digging: Buried under sediment, the clams can burrow up to the surface from a depth of 16 inches.Stray dogs burrowed through the piles of trash looking for scraps.
to penetrate deeply into something so as to investigate, exploit, or influence it, etc.: In her book on the brain, the writer burrows into the workings of an organ once deemed unknowable.These nasty computer viruses are adept at burrowing into your system.
to dig holes or passages into (a hill, mountainside, etc.): When earthworms burrow the soil, they aerate it and help plant roots to penetrate deeper.
to hide or shelter in a safe, snug space: The abandoned pup had burrowed itself in the straw of the barn out of pure fear.She burrowed the runt piglet in her coat till she had completed her chores in the barn.
to make by or as if by digging: We burrowed our way through the crowd.
burrow in,
to penetrate or dig into or under something: The beetle’s larvae burrow in and feed on the living tissues just beneath the tree’s bark.All my historical research was spurred by this confidence that I could burrow in and find answers.
to enter and become lodged or settled in a place: The enemy had taken over the town and burrowed in.He was just going to crash at my place for “a few days,” but he’s burrowed in.
(of a political appointee) to be hired as a permanent civil servant when the administration that made the appointment leaves power: He was the appointed director of the agency, and later burrowed in as a manager.
Origin of burrow
1Other words from burrow
- bur·row·er, noun
- un·bur·rowed, adjective
Words that may be confused with burrow
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use burrow in a sentence
From 319 fossil specimens, the team was able to reconstruct the burrows.
Giant worms may have burrowed into the ancient seafloor to ambush prey | Helen Thompson | January 22, 2021 | Science NewsReaching into burrows thought to contain their eggs yielded nothing.
Monitor lizards’ huge burrow systems can shelter hundreds of small animals | Jake Buehler | January 19, 2021 | Science NewsIn all, the team found nearly 750 individuals of 28 different vertebrate species in a combination of 16 warrens made up of many individual nesting burrows and a handful of foraging burrows, made when the lizards dig for prey.
Monitor lizards’ huge burrow systems can shelter hundreds of small animals | Jake Buehler | January 19, 2021 | Science NewsThe weird foot shape is ideal for excavating a burrow in a sand bank.
Three love stories about birds that will delight your heart | Laura Erickson | November 6, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThey also believe that the animals lived in burrows, much as modern chipmunks do, based on the fact that the skeletons, which were well-preserved, appear to have a strong front end—a feature known to be good for digging.
These prehistoric rodents were social butterflies | Kat Eschner | November 3, 2020 | Popular-Science
He has burrowed so deeply into his work that he hasn't even bothered to get a tan—much to New York's chagrin.
Mad Men’s Dramatic Déjà Vu: ‘Time Zones’ Feels Redundant | Andrew Romano | April 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAlthough none of these issues are burrowed into, they scroll by in manner that is commodious and vivid.
Great Weekend Reads: 4 New Novels, November 13, 2011 | Susan Salter Reynolds, Christopher Byrd, John Wilwol, Jennifer Miller | November 13, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd after thanking Mr. Blackbird for his advice, he turned away and burrowed out of sight.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyFinding plenty of miners among the Cornishmen of the 32d, he sunk a countermine for each mine burrowed by the enemy.
The Red Year | Louis TracyEpictetus and Luella and Gladys and Gaynor had all burrowed out of sight into the ground.
The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonAnd then again he remembered his manifold calamities, and burrowed and wallowed in the sense of his disgrace and shame.
Tales and Fantasies | Robert Louis StevensonTrusting to luck, Dalgard burrowed into the green mass, slashing with his knife at anything which denied him entrance.
Star Born | Andre Norton
British Dictionary definitions for burrow
/ (ˈbʌrəʊ) /
a hole or tunnel dug in the ground by a rabbit, fox, or other small animal, for habitation or shelter
a small snug place affording shelter or retreat
to dig (a burrow) in, through, or under (ground)
(intr often foll by through) to move through by or as by digging: to burrow through the forest
(intr) to hide or live in a burrow
(intr) to delve deeply: he burrowed into his pockets
to hide (oneself)
Origin of burrow
1Derived forms of burrow
- burrower, noun
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
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