beast of burden
noun phrase
: an animal employed to carry heavy loads or to perform other heavy work (such as pulling a plow)
Examples of beast of burden in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Half of the more than 7,000 elephants that live in Thailand are captive, the result of generations used as beasts of burden in the logging industry until it was outlawed in 1989.
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Melissa Klurman, Parents, 1 Dec. 2023
While South American llamas are beasts of burden that haul bushels of corn through the mountainside, North American ones are more apt to be fussed-over pets that are shampooed regularly and rented out as photogenic wedding guests or even golf caddies.
—Jennifer A. Kingson Peter Fisher, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Releasing your first album in 18 years is a beast of burden — so the Rolling Stones got some help.
—Vulture, 28 Sep. 2023
The image of the burro as a miner’s faithful beast of burden contrasts starkly with ecological reality, experts say.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Immigrants are being treated like beasts of burden.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 27 Aug. 2023
Melissa Klurman, Parents, 1 Dec. 2023
While South American llamas are beasts of burden that haul bushels of corn through the mountainside, North American ones are more apt to be fussed-over pets that are shampooed regularly and rented out as photogenic wedding guests or even golf caddies.
—Jennifer A. Kingson Peter Fisher, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023
Releasing your first album in 18 years is a beast of burden — so the Rolling Stones got some help.
—Vulture, 28 Sep. 2023
The image of the burro as a miner’s faithful beast of burden contrasts starkly with ecological reality, experts say.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Immigrants are being treated like beasts of burden.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 27 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beast of burden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near beast of burden
Cite this Entry
“Beast of burden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beast%20of%20burden. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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