Burin
//ˈbjʊər.ɪn// name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A chisel with a sharp point, used for engraving; a graver.
"I kept staring at the same wallpaper on the same wall; I stared at it so often that every line of its zigzag pattern has etched itself on the innermost folds of my brain as if with an engraver’s burin."
- 2 a chisel of tempered steel with a sharp point; used for engraving wordnet
- 3 A prehistoric flint tool
Proper Noun
- 1 A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Example
More examples"I kept staring at the same wallpaper on the same wall; I stared at it so often that every line of its zigzag pattern has etched itself on the innermost folds of my brain as if with an engraver’s burin."
Etymology
Etymology 1
Likely derived from Basque buru (“head”), referring here to a headland or promontory.
Etymology 2
From French burin. Doublet of boline.
Related phrases
More for "burin"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.