Burr

English

Noun

Burr (plural Burrs)

1. A sharp, pointy object, such as a sliver or splinter.
2. A bur; a seed pod with sharp features that stick in fur or clothing.
3. A small piece of material left on an edge after a cutting operation.
4. A rough humming sound.
5. A rolled "r".
6. (obsolete) A metal ring at the top of the hand-rest on a spear.
7. (UK) Alternative spelling of burl.

Verb

Burr (third-person singular simple present Burrs, present participle Burring, simple past and past participle Burred)

1. (transitive) To pronounce with a rolled "r".
2. (intransitive) To make a rough humming sound.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)

Synonyms

• (kind of seed pod): sticker; bur

Derived terms

• deburr

Etymology 1

From Middle English burre, perhaps from Old English byrst (“bristle”) from Old Norse

Etymology 2

(onomatopoeia), influenced by bur

Etymology 3

Origin uncertain.

Thesaurus

accent, adherent, adhesive, barnacle, belch, blare, blat, boll, bramble, bray, brier, bristle, broad accent, brogue, bulldog, buzz, cackle, cactus, capsule, catchweed, caw, cement, chirr, chiseling, clang, clangor, clank, clash, cleavers, cod, craunch, croak, cross-hatching, crump, crunch, decal, decalcomania, demitint, drawl, engravement, engraving, etch, etching, follicle, gem-engraving, glass-cutting, glue, glyptic, goose grass, graving, grind, groan, growl, grumble, gunk, half tint, hatching, hull, husk, incision, inscript, inscription, jangle, jar, leech, legume, legumen, limpet, line, lining, marking, molasses, mucilage, needle, nettle, paste, pease cod, pericarp, pine needle, plaster, pod, prickle, quill, rasp, regional accent, remora, score, scoring, scranch, scrape, scratch, scratching, scrunch, seed pod, seed vessel, seedbox, seedcase, silique, slash, slashing, snarl, snore, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, sticker, stipple, stippling, syrup, thistle, thorn, tint, tooling, twang, type-cutting, yucca