What does "burr" mean?
A sharp, pointy object, such as a sliver or splinter.
Burr
/bɝ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sharp, pointy object, such as a sliver or splinter.
- Grammar: burr is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bur, accent, adherent, adhesive.
- Useful contrasts: no burr, nonadherent seed, smooth edge.
- Usage evidence: Four states voted for Aaron Burr.
How to use "burr"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "burr" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "burr" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "burr" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "burr" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "burr" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bur" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "burr", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sharp, pointy object, such as a sliver or splinter.
- 2 A rough humming sound.
- 3 Synonym of brough (“halo around the sun or moon”)
"Far burr, near rain; Near burr, far rain."
- 4 Alternative spelling of burl. British, alt-of, alternative
- 5 small bit used in dentistry or surgery wordnet
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 Alternative form of bur (“rough, prickly husk around the seeds or fruit of some plants”). alt-of, alternative
"[…] nay Friar, I am a kind of Burre, I ſhal ſticke."
- 7 A uvular "r" sound, or (by extension) an accent characterized by this sound.
"Foote’s mimicry was exquisitely ludicrous, but it was all caricature. He could take off only some strange peculiarity, a stammer or a lisp, a Northumbrian burr or an Irish brogue, a stoop or a shuffle."
- 8 rough projection left on a workpiece after drilling or cutting wordnet
- 9 A small piece of material left on an edge after a cutting operation.
"You left a bunch of burrs on those parts yesterday. You've already been told not to miss the deburring operation."
- 10 rotary file for smoothing rough edges left on a workpiece wordnet
- 11 A thin flat piece of metal, formed from a sheet by punching; a small washer put on the end of a rivet before it is swaged down.
- 12 seed vessel having hooks or prickles wordnet
- 13 A broad iron ring on a tilting lance just below the grip, to prevent the hand from slipping. historical
- 14 A metal ring at the top of the hand-rest on a spear. historical
"And there kyng Arthur smote syr mordred vnder the shelde wyth a foyne of his spere thorughoute the body more than a fadom / And whan syr Mordred felte that he had hys dethes wounde / He thryst hym self wyth the myght that he had vp to the bur of kynge Arthurs spere / And right so he smote his fader Arthur wyth his swerde holden in bothe his handes"
- 15 The ear lobe.
- 16 A burr knot or burl.
"We notice wild bees gathering sap in a burr of the third mango tree[.]"
- 17 The knot at the bottom of an antler.
- 18 A revolving disk or cone with abrasive surfaces used to grind hard products in a grinder or mill.
"burr grinder"
Verb
- 1 To grind using a burr (revolving disk or cone with abrasive surfaces). transitive
- 2 To pronounce with a uvular "r". transitive
- 3 remove the burrs from wordnet
- 4 To make a rough humming sound. intransitive
"The first thing Lucy noticed as she went in was a burring sound, and the first thing she saw was a kind-looking old she-beaver sitting in the corner with a thread in her mouth working busily at her sewing machine, and it was from it that the sound came."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
"One Nation, a new 501(c)4 linked to the Karl-Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC, is spending more than $1.9 million on print, radio and digital ads highlighting the efforts of Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey to pass the “doc fix” legislation that realigned payments to Medicare providers with inflation."
- 2 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Florida Township, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Ripley County, Missouri.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; A village in Otoe County, Nebraska, named after burr oak trees.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Wharton County, Texas.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
- 7 A community in Rural Municipality of Wolverine No. 340, central Saskatchewan, Canada.
Antonyms
no burrnonadherent seedsmooth edgesmooth seed
Example
"Four states voted for Aaron Burr."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "burr"?
Common synonyms include: bur, accent, adherent, adhesive, auger, barnacle.
How do you use "burr" in a sentence?
Four states voted for Aaron Burr.
How do you pronounce "burr"?
Pronounced /bɝ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English burre, perhaps related to Old English byrst (“bristle”). Cognate with Danish burre, borre (“burdock, burr”), Swedish borre (“sea-urchin”).
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic, influenced by bur. Compare to French bruire.
Etymology 3
Like brough, an alternative form of burgh (“mound, settlement”) employed in a special sense; thus a doublet of those terms, borough, Brough, burrow, and Bury.
Etymology 4
From burl.