burrow

[ bur-oh, buhr-oh ]

/ ˈbɜr oʊ, ˈbʌr oʊ /

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See synonyms for: burrow / burrowing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a hole or tunnel in the ground made by a rabbit, fox, or similar animal for habitation and refuge.

a place of retreat; shelter or refuge.

verb (used without object)

to make a hole or passage in, into, or under something.

to lodge in a burrow.

to hide.

to proceed by or as if by digging.

verb (used with object)

to put a burrow into (a hill, mountainside, etc.).

to hide (oneself), as in a burrow.

to make by or as if by burrowing: We burrowed our way through the crowd.

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Origin of burrow

1325–75; Middle English borow, earlier burh, apparently gradational variant of late Middle English beri burrow, variant of earlier berg refuge, Old English gebeorg, derivative of beorgan to protect; akin to Old English burgen grave, i.e., place of protection for a body; see bury

OTHER WORDS FROM burrow

bur·row·er, nounun·bur·rowed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH burrow

borough, burro, burrow

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

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 News
Reaching 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 News
In 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 News
The 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-Science

They 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|DAILY BEAST
Although 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|DAILY BEAST
And after thanking Mr. Blackbird for his advice, he turned away and burrowed out of sight.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Finding plenty of miners among the Cornishmen of the 32d, he sunk a countermine for each mine burrowed by the enemy.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Epictetus and Luella and Gladys and Gaynor had all burrowed out of sight into the ground.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
And then again he remembered his manifold calamities, and burrowed and wallowed in the sense of his disgrace and shame.
Tales and Fantasies|Robert Louis Stevenson
Trusting 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

burrow

/ (ˈbʌrəʊ) /

noun

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

verb

to dig (a burrow) in, through, or under (ground)

(intr often foll by through) to move through by or as by diggingto burrow through the forest

(intr) to hide or live in a burrow

(intr) to delve deeplyhe burrowed into his pockets

to hide (oneself)

Derived forms of burrow

burrower, noun

Word Origin for burrow

C13: probably a variant of borough

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

burrow

Origin of burrow

OTHER WORDS FROM burrow

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH burrow

Words related to burrow

How to use burrow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for burrow

Derived forms of burrow

Word Origin for burrow