Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BURG-LA'RI-OUS-LY, adv.

With an intent to commit burglary; in the manner of a burglar. – Blackstone.

BURG'LA-RY, n.

The act or crime of nocturnal house-breaking, with an intent to commit a felony. To constitute this crime, the act must be committed in the night, or when there is not day-light enough to discern a man's face. It must be in a mansion house, or in an adjoining building which is a part or parcel of the mansion. There must be an actual breaking and an entry; but an opening made by the offender, as by taking out a pane of glass, or lifting a window, raising a latch, picking a lock, or removing any fastening, amounts to a breaking; and putting in of the hand, after such breaking, is an entry. The act must also be done with an intent to commit felony. – Blackstone.

BURG'O-MAS-TER, n. [burg and master.]

A burgh-master; a magistrate or one employed in the government of a city. The burgomasters are the chief magistrates of the great towns in Holland, Flanders, and Germany.

BUR'GOUT, n.

A kind of thick gruel used by seamen.

BUR'GRAVE, n. [burg and G. graf, D. graaf; an earl.]

In some European countries, an hereditary governor of a town or castle.

BUR'GUN-DY, n.

A kind of wine, so called from Burgundy in France. – Shenstone. Burgundy pitch is turpentine boiled down to a firmer consistence.

BURH, n.

Is the same as burg, burgh, with the aspirate. It is Saxon, and signifies a city, a castle, a house, or tower. Hence in composition it signifies defense, protection; as cwenburh, (queen-burh,) a woman ready to assist; Cuthburh, eminent for assistances. – Gibson's Camden.

BUR'I-AL, n. [ber'rial. See Bury.]

1. The act of burying a deceased person; sepulture; interment; the act of depositing a dead body in the earth, in a tomb or vault, or in the water.
2. The act of placing any thing under earth or water; as, to bury seed in the earth.
3. The church service for funerals. – Johnson.

BUR'I-AL-PLACE, n.

A place appropriated to the burial of the dead; a grave-yard.

BUR'I-ED, pp. [ber'ried.]

Deposited in the earth, or in a grave.

BUR'I-ER, n.

[ber'rier. One who buries a deceased person. – Shak.

BU'RIN, n. [Fr. burin; Port. boril; It. bulino.]

A graver; an instrument for engraving. – Johnson.

BURK, v.t. [from the name of the Irishman who first committed the crime, in 1829.]

To murder a person with the intention of selling the body for dissection.

BURK'ED, pp.

Murdered, as above. [Modern.]

BURK'ING, ppr.

Murdering, as above.

BURK'ISM, n.

The practice of killing persons for the purpose of obtaining bodies for dissection. – West. Rev.

BURL, v.t. [See Burly.]

1. To dress cloth as fullers do. – Johnson.
2. To pick knots and loose threads off from cloth. – Ash.

BUR'LACE, n. [A contraction of burdelais.]

A sort of grape. – Johnson.

BURL'ER, n.

A dresser of cloth. BUR-LESQUE' or BUR-LESK', a. [Fr.; It. burlesco, from burlare, to ridicule; burla, mockery, raillery; Port. and Sp. burlar, to jest or scoff; burlesco, a wag, a jester. The termination esque answers to Eng. ish.] Jocular; tending to excite laughter by ludicrous images, or by a contrast between the subject and the manner of treating it, as when a trifling subject is treated with gravity.

BUR-LESQUE', or BUR-LESK', n.

1. Ludicrous representation; a contrast between the subject and the manner of treating it, which tends to excite laughter or ridicule.
2. A composition in which a trifling subject or low incident is treated with great gravity, as a subject of great dignity or importance; or a composition in which the contrast between the subject and the manner of considering it renders it ludicrous or ridiculous; as, in Virgil Travestie, the Lutrin of Boileau, Butler's Hudibras, and Trumbull's McFingal.

BUR-LESQUE', or BUR-LESK', v.t.

To turn into ridicule; or to make ludicrous by representation; as, by treating a low or trifling subject with great gravity.

BUR-LESQ'UER, or BUR-LESK'ER, n.

One who burlesques or turns to ridicule.

BUR-LET'TA, n. [Italian. See Burlesque, Burly.]

A comic opera; a musical entertainment.

BUR'LI-NESS, n. [See Burly.]

Bulk; bluster. – Johnson.

BURL'Y, a. [The sense probably is swelled. Hence it accords with Russ. burlyu, to be noisy, to swell as sound. Qu. W. broliaw. See Burlesque.]

Great in size; bulky; tumid; falsely great; boisterous. – Dryden. Cowley. This word is obsolete or nearly so in America; but hurly-burly is common in vulgar use, for noise, confusion, uproar.