burton

[ bur-tn ]

/ ˈbɜr tn /

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noun Nautical.

any of various small tackles for use on shipboard.

Spanish burton.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of burton

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

Words nearby burton

burstone, burst out, burst with, Burt, burthen, burton, Burton-upon-Trent, Buru, Burundi, Burundian, Burushaski

Other definitions for burton (2 of 3)

burton²

[ bur-tn ]

/ ˈbɜr tn /

Verb Phrases

go for a burton, British Slang.

to be lost, missing, or destroyed.
to die.

Origin of burton

First recorded in 1940–45; origin unclear

Other definitions for burton (3 of 3)

Burton

[ bur-tn ]

/ ˈbɜr tn /

noun

Harold Hitz

[hits], /hɪts/, 1888–1964, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1945–58.

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

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

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

a town in central Michigan.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use burton in a sentence

When watching a kid struggle to complete a math problem, “it’s very tempting for a parent to want to get in there and rescue the child, which doesn’t always help in the long run,” Burton said.
Confused by your kid’s math homework? Here’s how it all adds up.|Caralee Adams|March 19, 2021|Washington Post
When Burton and Taylor were in Rome filming “Cleopatra,” Burton had to travel for a week.
Mike Nichols’s creative, extraordinary life|Kathi Wolfe|February 23, 2021|Washington Blade
Burton founder Jake Burton Carpenter coined the term snowboarding and developed the first snowboard setup as a riff on Poppen’s stand-up, cut novelty item.
The Evolution from Snurfing to Snowboarding|Outside Editors|February 4, 2021|Outside Online
However, Burton told me the 4 percent finding among high-prevalence smokers was the only statistically significant finding.
Study: Smoking bans saved countless lives — could they have increased drunk driving?|Jerusalem Demsas|December 24, 2020|Vox

Looking to Burton’s research, concerns with her findings can be boiled down to measurement error and whether she was actually able to isolate the effect of smoking bans.
Study: Smoking bans saved countless lives — could they have increased drunk driving?|Jerusalem Demsas|December 24, 2020|Vox
Steiger was nominated, and Richard Burton, and a lot of people in bigger movies.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For the past decade or so, Tim Burton was a bit lost in CG land.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Beast sat down with Burton to discuss Big Eyes and his beautiful, dark, twisted career.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whatever the reason, Burton was committed enough to leave tiny Bunker Hill to seek out her beau.
Mrs. Manson, Hometown Antihero|Justin Glawe|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Down a one-lane gravel road sits the house Burton left seven years ago.
Mrs. Manson, Hometown Antihero|Justin Glawe|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Quaint old Burton in his "Anatomy of Melancholy," recognizes the virtues of the plant while he anathematizes its abuse.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Sergeant Burton knelt down and gingerly laid his hand upon the stained linen over the breast of Sir Lucien.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
While the others stood grouped about that still figure on the floor, Sergeant Burton entered the little office.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Burton's work on unexplored Syria is full of passages relating to tobacco and the custom of smoking.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Mr. Burton, in his lately published "Narratives," points out another source of information regarding Drury, in the Gent.
Notes and Queries, Number 196, July 30, 1853|Various

British Dictionary definitions for burton (1 of 2)

burton

/ (ˈbɜːtən) /

noun

nautical a kind of light hoisting tackle

go for a burton British slang

to be broken, useless, or lost
to die

Word Origin for burton

C15: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for burton (2 of 2)

Burton

/ (ˈbɜːtən) /

noun

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)

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)

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

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)

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