Definition of burl
1 : a knot or lump in thread or cloth
2a : a hard woody often flattened hemispherical outgrowth on a treeb : veneer made from burls
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of burl from the Web
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More sudden than fossil or feather or driftwood burl on a desk, the sprig's scent conjures a dear place and time, jump-starting memory like satiny wildflowers chanced upon between pages of a book.
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Even smaller parts of trees can be incredibly valuable: In 2014 there were 18 cases of thieves hacking out chunks of burl from 1000-year-old California redwoods.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'burl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of burl
Middle English burle, from Anglo-French *bourle tuft of wool, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *burrula, diminutive of Late Latin burra shaggy cloth
Learn More about burl
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See words that rhyme with burl Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burl
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