Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BURD'EN-SOME, a.

Heavy; grievous to be borne; causing uneasiness or fatigue; oppressive. – Dryden.

BUR'DEN-SOME-LY, adv.

In a burdensome manner.

BURD'EN-SOME-NESS, n.

The quality of being burdensome; heaviness; oppressiveness.

BUR'DOCK, n. [bur and dock.]

The popular name of a genus of plants called Arctium. They are troublesome weeds. The lesser burdock is a species of Xanthium.

BU'REAU, n. [bu'ro; Fr. bureau, an office, a table, a court, a chest of drawers; Sp. bureo, a court of justice; Arm. burell; Fr. bure, a cloth. The primary sense is a cloth covering, a table, like exchequer. – Lunier.]

1. A chest of drawers, for keeping papers or clothes.
2. An embassador's or secretary's office. In Spanish, this word bureo is a court of justice for the trial of persons belonging to the king's household.

BURG, n. [This is the same word as Borough, the only difference being in the pronunciation of the final letter.]

A borough; originally a fortified town, but now a city or town, which sends members to parliament, whether incorporated or not. [See Borough.]

BURG'AGE, n. [from burg.]

In English law, tenure in burgage, or burgage tenure, is tenure in socage, applied to cities or towns, or where houses, or lands which were formerly the site of houses, in an ancient borough, are held of some lord in common socage by a certain established rent; a remnant of Saxon liberty. – Blackstone.

BURG'A-MOT, n.

1. A species of pear. [See Bergamot.]
2. A kind of perfume. [See Bergamot.]

BURG'A-NET, or BURG'O-NET, n. [Fr. bourguignote, from burg, in the sense of covering or guarding.]

A kind of helmet, the Spanish murrion. – Spenser. Shak.

BUR-GEOIS', n.¹ [Fr. bourgeois, pronounced boorzwhá, from bourg, burg.]

A burgess.

BUR-GEOIS', n.² [burjois'. See also BOURGEOIS.]

A species of type, or printing letter, smaller than long primer, and larger than brevier.

BURG-EON, v.i.

See BOURGEON.

BURG'ER-MAS-TER, n.

An aquatic fowl which builds its nest on cliffs near the water. – Dict. of Nat. Hist.

BURG'ESS, n. [Fr. bourgeois, from bourg, burg.]

1. An inhabitant of a borough, or walled town; or one who possesses a tenement therein; a citizen or freeman of a borough. – Blackstone.
2. A representative of a borough in parliament. – Ib.
3. A magistrate of certain towns. – Encyc.
4. Before the revolution, the representatives in the popular branch of the legislature of Virginia were called burgesses, as the House of Burgesses. It is now called the House of Delegates.

BURG'ESS-SHIP, n.

The slate or quality of a burgess. – South.

BURGH, n. [burg.]

A different orthography of Burg, Borough, which see.

BURGH'-BOTE, n. [burgh and bote.]

In old laws, a contribution toward the building or repairing of castles, or walls, for the defense of a city or town. – Encyc.

BURGH'-BRECH, n. [burgh and break.]

A fine imposed on a burgh, for a breach of the peace. – English.

BURGH'ER, n. [from burg.]

An inhabitant of a burgh or borough, who enjoys the privileges of the borough of which he is a freeman. In America, it is applied to any native citizen, especially in the state of New York.

BURGH'ER-SHIP, n.

The state or privilege of a burgher.

BURGH'-MAS-TER, n. [burgh and master.]

A burgomaster; also, an officer in the tin mines, who directs and lays out the meers for the workmen, called also bailif, and bar-master. – Encyc.

BURGH'MOTE, n. [burgh and mote, meeting.]

The court of a burgh or borough. – Encyc.

BURG'LAR, n. [burgh or burg, a house, and Arm. laer, a thief; whence Fr. larron.]

One guilty of nocturnal house-breaking; one who breaks and enters a mansion house, with intent to commit a felony. – Coke.

BURG-LA'RI-AN, n.

A person guilty of burglary.

BURG-LA'RI-OUS, a.

Pertaining to burglary; constituting the crime of burglary. To come down a chimney is held a burglarious entry. – Blackstone.