bur

¹

[ bur ]

noun

1. a rough, prickly case around the seeds of certain plants, as the chestnut or burdock.
2. any bur-bearing plant.
3. something that adheres like a bur.
4. Machinery. burr ¹( defs 1, 3 ).
5. Dentistry. a rotary cutting tool usually of steel or other hard metal shaped into a shank and a head, for removing carious material from teeth and preparing cavities for filling.
6. Surgery. a cutting tool resembling that of a dentist, used for the excavation of bone.

verb (used with object)

, burred, bur·ring.

1. to extract or remove burs from.

bur

²

[ bur ]

noun

1. burr ².

bur.

³

abbreviation for

1. bureau.

Bur.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Burma ( def ).

BUR

¹

abbreviation for

1. Myanmar (international car registration)

bur

²

/ bɜː /

noun

1. a seed vessel or flower head, as of burdock, having hooks or prickles
2. any plant that produces burs
3. a person or thing that clings like a bur
4. a small surgical or dental drill
5. a variant spelling of burr 3 burr 4

verb

1. tr to remove burs from

Bur.

³

abbreviation for

1. Myanmar (Burma)

bur

/ bûr /

1. A type of pseudocarp in which the outer surface possesses hooks or barbs. Burs become caught in the feathers or hair of animals, which then carry them away to disperse the seeds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bur¹

1300–50; Middle English burre, apparently cognate with Danish burre, Norwegian, Swedish borre bur

Word History and Origins

Origin of bur¹

from Burma

Origin of bur²

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Danish burre bur, Swedish kardborre burdock

Example Sentences

It was going to be made for television, and somehow, it was unplugged from PBS, bur they already started pre-production, so they decided, we’ll make it as a Merchant Ivory film.

From Salon

Bur Moriarty, who identifies as queer, said transgender people “deserve to live authentically and be free from threats and violence.”

From Washington Times

Van Pelt repeated the method on 11 more trees, including bur oak, scarlet oak and the pecan.

From Seattle Times

Even after the rigors of 9/11 TSA security, BUR still feels like the mini-mart of airports, a place where you can just roll into in your jammies.

From Los Angeles Times

Bur Mr Johnson told Sky: "There are tens of thousands of entries in the prime ministerial diary - none of them constitute a breach of the rules during Covid."

From BBC