burrow

American  

[bur-oh, buhr-oh] / ˈbɜr oʊ, ˈbʌr oʊ /

noun

• burrows
  plural

1. 

   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.

2. a place of retreat; shelter or refuge.

   His study is his burrow—we have to coax him out for every meal.

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verb (used without object)

• burrows,
  present (3rd person singular)
• burrowed,
  past participle,  past
• burrowing
  present participle

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

   This small bird can survive cold Arctic nights by burrowing into the snow.

2. to lodge in an underground hole or tunnel.

   Many rodents burrow over the winter.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

verb (used with object)

• burrows,
  present (3rd person singular)
• burrowed,
  past participle,  past
• burrowing
  present participle

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. to make by or as if by digging.

   We burrowed our way through the crowd.

verb phrase

1. burrow in

   1. 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.

   2. 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.

   3. (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.

burrow British  

/ ˈbʌrəʊ /

noun

1. a hole or tunnel dug in the ground by a rabbit, fox, or other small animal, for habitation or shelter

2. a small snug place affording shelter or retreat

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verb

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

2. to move through by or as by digging

   to burrow through the forest

3. (intr) to hide or live in a burrow

4. (intr) to delve deeply

   he burrowed into his pockets

5. to hide (oneself)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• burrower
  noun
• unburrowed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• burrows
  plural

Participles

• burrowing
  present
• burrowed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• burrow
  simple
• burrows
  simple
• have burrowed
  perfect
• has burrowed
  perfect
• am burrowing
  progressive
• are burrowing
  progressive
• is burrowing
  progressive
• have been burrowing
  perfect progressive
• has been burrowing
  perfect progressive

Past

• burrowed
  simple
• had burrowed
  perfect
• was burrowing
  progressive
• were burrowing
  progressive
• had been burrowing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will burrow
  simple
• will have burrowed
  perfect
• will be burrowing
  progressive
• will have been burrowing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of burrow

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English borow, earlier burh, of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English gebeorg “refuge,” noun derivative of beorgan “to hide, protect, preserve” (compare late Middle English beri “burrow,” variant of earlier berg “refuge”); akin to Old English burgen “grave” (in the sense “place of protection for a body”); cf. bury

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Explanation

Rabbits live in a burrow or a set of tunnels under the earth. They make these tunnels by burrowing, or digging holes with their bodies. Just one letter separates burrow from borrow. To remember the difference, think of the 'u' in burrow as the 'u' for under. Burrows are always underground, and when you burrow under something, you are always going beneath it. Worms can burrow into apples, and on a cold day, you might decide that you'd rather stay in and burrow underneath your blankets.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

burrow burrows burrowed burrowing

After hatching, the larvae burrow into the tissue and begin feeding.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

This is an "active burrow", the conservationist said, explaining that the water voles have been "mushing" their droppings.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

In one, a female marmot known as “1” chases away a curious male named “G” as he pokes around her burrow, screeching as they go.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Diggers are already clearing parts of the OPP complex, shaking the ruins even as volunteers and families continue to burrow for the bodies of loved ones.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

The cat forced himself into the burrow as far as he could go, and crouched there, unable to turn and face what might come, for the burrow was very narrow.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

Trail parking lots there sit next to a boulder-strewn meadow where marmot mothers nurse their young in burrows, making nearby cars irresistible targets, said park spokeswoman Holly Streit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Bold Coast Charter’s trips allow participants to land on an island and spend a couple of hours in blinds to see and photograph at close range puffins gathered on rocks above their nesting burrows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

But wildlife experts are very familiar with the little penguins' burrows at Phillip Island and St Kilda, he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

It is found only in a narrow strip of sand dunes in southern Africa, where it burrows into the sand.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

The poorest went on living in burrows of the most primitive kind, mere holes indeed, with only one window or none; while the well-to-do still constructed more luxurious versions of the simple diggings of old.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

She burrowed deep in the recesses of the early Obama administration, welding together the voluminous Affordable Care Act.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some lived in trees, others burrowed underground like moles, and species such as Megacauda sungei were adapted to life in water.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

A punk-vicious “Subdivisions” — “Be cool or be cast out,” go the lyrics — benefited from added grit, while 1984’s “Distant Early Warning” burrowed into nuclear anxiety with unstoppable momentum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

Then replacement tight-head prop Milne marked his Six Nations debut when he burrowed over after another McCloskey surge.

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

It attached itself and then it burrowed inside and made a nest and stayed.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Granted, the bar for Netflix movies has long since descended past Hell’s ninth circle, burrowing so low that it’s carved out a 10th reserved for the streamer’s original titles.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

No one knows, but all the flailing, hammering, digging and burrowing are for naught.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Archaeological evidence indicates that the hunter-gatherers in the study had close contact with marmots, large burrowing rodents that still carry plague today.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

The club's nickname 'Los Tuzos', translates to 'the gophers', referring to a burrowing rodent found in North and Central America and serving as a nod to their mining heritage.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Then one day, burrowing in a dresser drawer, she found what die had been looking for: proof that he had been there, his driver’s license.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

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