Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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 This word is obsolete or nearly so in America; but hurly-burly is common in vulgar use, for noise, confusion, uproar.