burr

1 of 2

noun

1
usually bur
a
: a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
b
: a plant that bears burs
2
a
: something that sticks or clings
a burr in the throat
b
3
: an irregular rounded mass
especially : a tree burl
4
: a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal
5
a
: a trilled uvular \r\ as used by some speakers of English especially in northern England and in Scotland
b
: a tongue-point trill that is the usual Scottish \r\
6
a
: a small rotary cutting tool
b
usually bur : a bit used on a dental drill
7
: a rough humming sound : whir
burred adjective

burr

2 of 2

verb

burred; burring; burrs

intransitive verb

1
: to speak with a burr
2
: to make a whirring sound

transitive verb

1
: to pronounce with a burr
2
a
: to form into a projecting edge
b
: to remove burrs from
burrer noun

Examples of burr in a Sentence

Noun a tool that can cut through steel leaving a smooth edge and no burrs heard the burr of a distant engine Verb the pitch burred past the batter's ear
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Invest in a burr grinder, such as the Baratza Encore, a good entry-level unit that will grind more evenly. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Flat burr grinders are typically expensive, especially ones that can give you a grind fine enough for an espresso machine. Jaina Grey, WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023 The cooking pros at America’s Test Kitchen have said that using a burr grinder wasn’t a surefire upgrade in its coffee taste tests. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Moon’s soaring, youthful tone has a gorgeous rasping burr to it, while Bean’s astonishing sledgehammer voice has a similar, fractured quality. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 Its ceramic burr set, made in Kagoshima, Japan, is adjustable (mine’s set for pour-overs), and compared to the Porlex Mini Grinder I, the Mini Grinder II produces more ground coffee with the same number of rotations. L.a. Times Food Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Bad Bunny is a hair chameleon who has experimented with numerous bold styles, from a neon green buzz to burr cuts with razor-sharp edges. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 21 Oct. 2023 Instead of metal blades violently slashing your beans, a burr grinder breaks them down by methodically rotating them against an abrasive surface. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 11 Oct. 2023 The Opus is like a luxury sports car among burr grinders, with 41+ precision settings, covering the full range of grind sizes for everything from pour-over to electric coffee makers to espresso. Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burr.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English burre; akin to Old English byrst bristle — more at bristle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1798, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of burr was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near burr

Cite this Entry

“Burr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burr. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

burr

noun
ˈbər
1
usually bur
ˈbər
a
: a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
b
: a plant that bears burs
2
: roughness left in cutting or shaping metal
3
usually bur : a bit used on a dentist's drill
4
: a rough trilled \r\ used by some speakers of English especially in northern England and in Scotland
burred
ˈbərd
adjective

Medical Definition

burr

variant of bur

Biographical Definition

Burr

biographical name

Aaron 1756–1836 3rd vice president of the U.S. (1801–05)

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