burton

¹

[bur-tn]

noun

Nautical.

1. any of various small tackles for use on shipboard.

2. Spanish burton.

burton

²

[bur-tn]

Burton

³

[bur-tn]

noun

1. Harold Hitz 1888–1964, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1945–58.

2. Sir Richard Richard Jenkins, 1925–84, English actor, born in Wales.

3. Sir Richard Francis, 1821–90, English explorer, Orientalist, and writer.

4. Robert Democritus Junior, 1577–1640, English clergyman and author.

5. a town in central Michigan.

6. a male given name.

Burton

¹

/ ˈbɜːtən /

noun

1. Sir Richard Francis . 1821–90, English explorer, Orientalist, and writer who discovered Lake Tanganyika with John Speke (1858); produced the first unabridged translation of The Thousand Nights and a Night (1885–88)

2. Richard , real name Richard Jenkins . 1925–84, Welsh stage and film actor: films include Becket (1964), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), and Equus (1977)

3. Robert , pen name Democritus Junior . 1577–1640, English clergyman, scholar, and writer, noted for his Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)

4. Tim. born 1958, US film director whose work includes Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Corpse Bride (2005), and Alice in Wonderland (2010)

burton

²

/ ˈbɜːtən /

noun

1. nautical a kind of light hoisting tackle

2. slang

   1. to be broken, useless, or lost

   2. to die

Word History and Origins

Origin of burton¹

1695–1705; probably by metathesis from Breton ( takles ), Brytton ( takles ) (late 15th cent.); Breton, Briton

Origin of burton²

First recorded in 1940–45; origin unclear

Word History and Origins

Origin of burton¹

C15: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

The staging of the former’s broomstick flights is “Top Gun” for tween girls, and her castle in the sky is a strangely scary redoubt somewhere between Tim Burton and a German Expressionist film.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Rhys returned to Wales for his national tour playing Richard Burton in a one-man show that began on 17 November in Mwldan, Cardigan, and concludes in Pontrhydyfen.

Read more on BBC

Matthew, I know you’re about to embark on your one-man play playing actor Richard Burton.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Burton really, truly was a hero of mine.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Elizabeth Taylor and Burton were ground zero of what we see today.

Read more on Los Angeles Times