Meaning

3 senses
  1. A rough, prickly husk around the seeds or fruit of some plants.

  2. Any of several plants having such husks.

  3. A rotary cutting implement having a selection of variously shaped heads.

More definitions
  • small bit used in dentistry or surgery
  • seed vessel having hooks or prickles

Examples

3 sentences
  1. Her hair was the color that lines a chestnut-bur.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Hybrid · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  2. Bur plants spread through their seed capsules sticking to the fur of animals.

    deKletten verbreiten sich, indem sie ihre Samenkapseln an das Fell von Tieren anheften.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · frpzzd · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem
  3. The germination of both seeds of a bur of Xanthium in one season is exceptional.

    CC0 · Tatoeba · Cangarejo · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Origin

From Middle English burre, of unknown origin but probably from North Germanic (Scandinavia

From Middle English burre, of unknown origin but probably from North Germanic (Scandinavian) source or from Old English byrst (“bristle”). See also burr. Compare English bristle, Danish burre (“bur, burdock”), Norwegian borre, Swedish borre, and Old Norse burst (“bristle”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: burs
Singularbur
Pluralburs

regular

Synonyms

1 synonyms
Close in meaning
  • small bit used in dentistry or surgery:burr
  • seed vessel having hooks or prickles:burr

Word family

15 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
bur — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto