BURDOCK. See BUR (1).
BUREAU, b[=u]r'[=o], _n._ a writing-table or chest of drawers: a room or
office where such a table is used: a department for the transacting of
public business:--_pl._ BUREAUX (b[=u]r'[=o]), BUREAUS (b[=u]r'[=o]z). [Fr.
_bureau_--O. Fr. _burel_, russet cloth--L. _burrus_, red.]
BUREAUCRACY, b[=u]r[=o]'kras-i, _n._ a system of government centralised in
graded series of officials, responsible only to their chiefs, and
controlling every detail of public and private life.--_ns._ BUREAU'CRAT,
BUREAU'CRATIST, one who advocates government by bureaucracy.--_adj._
BUREAUCRAT'IC, relating to or having the nature of a bureaucracy.--_adv._
BUREAUCRAT'ICALLY. [BUREAU, and Gr. _kratein_, to govern.]
BURETTE, b[=u]-ret', _n._ a flask-shaped vessel for holding liquids, an
altar-cruet. [Fr.]
BURGAGE, bur'g[=a]j, _n._ a tenure in socage for a yearly rent: a tenure in
Scotland in royal burghs under nominal service of watching. [O. Fr.]
BURGAMOT. Same as BERGAMOT.
BURGANET, bur'ga-net, _n._ a 16th-century helmet.--Also BUR'GONET. [Lit.
'Burgundian.']
BURGEE, bur'j[=e], _n._ a swallow-tailed flag or pennant: a kind of small
coal for furnaces.
BURGEON, bur'jun, _n._ and _v.i._ Same as BOURGEON.
BURGH, bur'[=o], _n._ the Scotch word corresponding to the English
BOROUGH.--_ns._ BURG (same as BOROUGH); BURG'AGE, a system of tenure where
the king or other person is lord of an ancient borough, city, or town, by
which the citizens hold their lands or tenements, for a certain annual
rent; BURGESS (bur'jes), BUR'GHER, an inhabitant of a borough: a citizen or
freeman: a magistrate of certain towns: one able to take the usual
burgesses' oath (see ANTIBURGHER).--_adj._ BUR'GHAL, relating to a
burgh.--_n._ BURG'OMASTER, the chief magistrate of a German or a Dutch
borough, answering to the English term mayor.--BURGH OF BARONY, a
corporation consisting of the inhabitants of a determinate tract of land
within the _barony_, and municipally governed by magistrates and a council
whose election is either vested in the baron superior of the district, or
vested in the inhabitants themselves; BURGH OF REGALITY, a burgh of barony,
spiritual or temporal, enfranchised by crown charter, with regal or
exclusive criminal jurisdiction within their own
territories.--PARLIAMENTARY BURGH, one like Paisley, Greenock, Leith, whose
boundaries, as first fixed in 1832, were adopted for municipal purposes,
with regard to which they stand practically in the same position as royal
burghs; POLICE BURGH, a burgh constituted by the sheriff for purposes of
improvement and police, the local authority being the police commissioners;
ROYAL BURGH, a corporate body deriving its existence, constitution, and
rights from a royal charter, such being either actual and express, or
presumed to have existed.
BURGLAR, burg'lar, _n._ one who breaks into a house by night to
steal.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ to commit burglary.--_adj._
BURGL[=A]R'IOUS.--_adv._ BURGL[=A]R'IOUSLY.--_v.t._ BURG'LARISE.--_n._
BURG'LARY, breaking into a house by night to steal. [Ety. dub.]
BURGONET. See BURGANET.
BURGOO, bur'g[=oo], _n._ a dish made of boiled oatmeal seasoned with salt,
butter, and sugar, used by seamen. [Derivation unknown.]
BURGRAVE, bur'gr[=a]v, _n._ the governor of a town or castle. [Ger.
_burg_-_graf_.]
BURGUNDY, bur'gun-di, _n._ a generous French red wine, so called from
_Burgundy_, the district where it is made.
BURIAL, ber'i-al, _n._ the act of laying a dead body in the grave:
interment.--_ns._ BUR'IAL-AISLE, an aisle in a church used for burials;
BUR'IAL-GROUND, BUR'IAL-PLACE, a piece of ground set apart for
burying.--BURIAL SERVICE, a religious service or form of ritual
accompanying a burial; BURIAL SOCIETY, an insurance society for providing
the expenses of burial. [A.S. _byrgels_, a tomb. See BURY.]
BURIN, b[=u]r'in, _n._ a kind of chisel of tempered steel, used in copper
engraving--the distinctive style of a master is frequently described by
such expressions as a _soft_, a _graphic_, or a _brilliant_ burin.--_n._
BUR'INIST, an engraver. [Fr.; from root of BORE.]
BURKE, burk, _v.t._ to murder, esp. by stifling: hence (_fig._) to put an
end to quietly. [From _Burke_, an Edinburgh Irishman (hanged 1829), who
committed the crime in order to sell the bodies of his victims for
dissection.]
BURL, burl, _n._ a small knot in thread, a knot in wood.--_v.t._ to pick
knots, &c., from, in finishing cloth.--_ns._ BUR'LING-[=I]'RON;
BUR'LING-MACHINE'.--_adj._ BUR'LY, knotty.
BURLAP, bur'lap, _n._ a coarse canvas for wrappings, &c.--usually in _pl._
[Origin unknown.]
BURLESQUE, bur-lesk', _n._ a ludicrous representation--in speaking, acting,
writing, drawing--a low and rude grade of the comic, whose legitimate
office is to turn to laughter pretension and affectation.--_adj._ jocular:
comical.--_v.t._ to turn into burlesque: to ridicule.--_p.adj._
BURLESQUED', caricatured.--_adv._ BURLESQUE'LY. [It. _burlesco_; prob. from
Low L. _burra_, a flock of wool, a trifle.]
BURLETTA, bur-let'a, _n._ a musical farce: comic opera. [It.;--dim. of
_burla_, a jest.]
BURLY, bur'li, _adj._ bulky: boisterous, bluff.--_n._ BUR'LINESS. [M. E.
_borlich_; prob. Old High Ger. _burl[=i]h_, high, _b[=o]r_, a height.]
BURMESE, bur'm[=e]z, _adj._ relating to _Burma_ in Farther India, or its
language.--_n._ a native of Burma, or the language of Burma--also BUR'MAN.
BURN, burn, _n._ a small stream or brook: a spring or fountain. [A.S.
_burna_; cog. with Dut. and Ger. _born_.]
BURN, burn, _v.t._ to consume or injure by fire.--_v.i._ to be on fire: to
feel excess of heat: to be inflamed with passion:--_pa.p._ burned or
burnt.--_n._ a hurt or mark caused by fire.--_ns._ BURN'ER, the part of a
lamp or gas-jet from which the flame arises; BURN'ING, act of consuming by
fire: conflagration: inflammation.--_adj._ very hot: scorching: ardent:
excessive.--_ns._ BURN'ING-GLASS, a convex lens concentrating the sun's
rays at its focus; BURN'ING-HOUSE, a kiln; BURN'ING-MIRR'OR, a concave
mirror for producing heat by concentrating the sun's rays; BURN'ING-POINT,
the temperature at which a volatile oil in an open vessel will take fire
from a match held close to its surface; BURNT'-EAR, a kind of smut in oats,
wheat, &c., caused by a microscopic fungus; BURNT'-OFF'ERING, something
offered and burned upon an altar as a sacrifice--amongst the Hebrews,
apparently offerings of dedication and to some extent of expiation;
BURNT'-SIENN'A (see SIENNA); BURN'-THE-WIND (_Scot._), a blacksmith.--BURN
A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET, said of money, when one is eager to spend it; BURN
BLUE, to burn with a bluish flame like that of brimstone; BURN DAYLIGHT
(_Shak._), to waste time in superfluous actions; BURN DOWN, to burn to the
ground; BURN IN, to eat into, as fire: to fix and render durable, as
colours, by means of intense heat, to imprint indelibly on the mind;
BURNING BUSH, the emblem of the Presbyterian churches of Scotland, with the
motto, 'Nec tamen consumebatur,' adopted from Ex. iii. 2, in memory of the
unconquerable courage of the Covenanters under the cruel persecutions of
the 17th century; BURNING QUESTION, one being keenly discussed; BURN ONE'S
BOATS, to cut one's self off, as Cortes did, from all chance of retreat, to
stake everything on success; BURN ONE'S FINGERS, to suffer from interfering
in others' affairs, from embarking in speculations, &c.; BURN OUT, to
destroy by means of burning: to burn till the fire dies down from want of
fuel; BURN THE WATER, to spear salmon by torchlight; BURN UP, to consume
completely by fire: to be burned completely. [A.S.; the weak verb
_boernan_, _boernde_, _boerned_, has been confused with _beornan_,
_byrnan_, _barn_, _bornen_; cf. Ger. _brennen_, to burn.]
BURNET, bur'net, _n._ the English name of two closely united genera of
_Rosaceæ_--the Great Burnet common in meadows all over Europe; the Common
Burnet growing on chalky soils, its slightly astringent leaves used in
salads or soups, also as an ingredient in 'cool tankard.' [From its _brown_
flowers.]
BURNISH, burn'ish, _v.t._ to polish: to make bright by rubbing.--_n._
polish: lustre.--_ns._ BURN'ISHER, an instrument employed in burnishing;
BURN'ISHING; BURN'ISHMENT.
BURNOUS, bur-n[=oo]s', _n._ a mantle with a hood much worn by the Arabs.
[Fr.--Ar. _burnus_.]
BURNT, _pa.p._ of BURN (q.v.).
BURR. Same as BUR (q.v.).
BURREL, bur'el, _n._ a kind of coarse russet cloth in medieval times. [See
BUREAU.]