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burl

noun
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\ ˈbər(-ə)l How to pronounce burl (audio) \

Definition of burl

1 : a knot or lump in thread or cloth
2a : a hard woody often flattened hemispherical outgrowth on a tree
b : veneer made from burls

Examples of burl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At its base is a structure known as a burl, which hides growing buds that have been shielded from the fire. — Matt Simon, Wired, "The Humble Shrub That’s Predicting a Terrible Fire Season," 15 Apr. 2021 In an especially impressive piece, a woman has curving branches for arms, and seems to erupt out of a large burl, like a goddess. — New York Times, "Photography in the Raw," 4 Feb. 2021 Straight from the Presidential Suite, which hosted 16 presidents, the electric clock comes carved in burl walnut and measures 87 inches by 18.5 inches by 9 inches. — Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg.com, "The Waldorf Astoria Auction’s Most Valuable Lots, Plus Some Oddities," 13 Oct. 2020 Stone, like wood burl, can have cavities and fissures allowing design adventures. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Timely Reminder in Dallas: Great Art Is Thrilling to Look At," 29 Aug. 2020 Connolly-leather seats and black piping offset burl-walnut trim. — Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, "Tested: 1991 Aston Martin Virage Modernizes the the British Brand," 27 May 2020 From the outside, burl wood appears deformed, all grayish scabs of nasty bark. — John Semley, The New Republic, "Turn On, Tune In, Cash In," 27 Apr. 2020 Owners’ closets Carved, rare Honduran mahogany frames the walk-in closets with beautiful veneer inlays of satinwood, ebony and carpathian elm burl. — Judy Rose, Detroit Free Press, "You'll want this $1.75M Clarkston house for the art the owners made in it," 11 Apr. 2020 The striker is a snakewood dowel with an Afeliia burl top. — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, "The 16 Most Awesome Turkey And Duck Calls You’ve Ever Seen," 19 Feb. 2020

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.

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First Known Use of burl

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for 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

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Time Traveler for burl

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The first known use of burl was in the 15th century

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Last Updated

20 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Burl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burl. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burl

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