burro

noun

bur·​ro ˈbər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce burro (audio) ˈbu̇r- How to pronounce burro (audio)
ˈbə-(ˌ)rō
plural burros
: donkey sense 1
The farm boasted an array of animals including goats, a burro, geese, ducks, chickens and an Irish water spaniel named Mr. Dooley …Dorothy and John Tarrant
especially : a small donkey used as a pack animal
… bought a burro on which to pack their kit. Frank Norris
Figures darker than the gloom approached and took shape, and in the light turned out to be those of a white man and a heavily packed burro. Zane Grey

Examples of burro in a Sentence

used a burro to carry the supplies
Recent Examples on the Web 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 And therein lies the beauty of burro racing — there is no gender or age bias. Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 16 Aug. 2022 So every year, the BLM sets a target number of wild horses and burros to round up. Mark Scaglione, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2023 Wild horses and burros are protected under a 1971 law that established the right for these unbranded animals to live on public land, often referred to as the range. Mark Scaglione, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2023 For San Bernardino Mountains conservationists, the signs are all too clear: Big Bear Valley has a problem — a wild burros problem. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023 The nonprofit also enacts land trusts and grazing buyouts, and lobbies federal and state governments to protect wild horses and burros. Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023 How to make spaghetti tonno e burro Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Megan Litt, Bon Appétit, 5 Sep. 2023 The religious origins are evident in the classic piñata designs of the seven-point star and the burro, or donkey, said Cesáreo Moreno, chief curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. Susan Montoya Bryan, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burro.' 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

Spanish, irregular from borrico, from Late Latin burricus small horse

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of burro was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near burro

Cite this Entry

“Burro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burro. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

burro

noun
bur·​ro ˈbər-ō How to pronounce burro (audio) ˈbu̇r- How to pronounce burro (audio)
ˈbə-rō
plural burros
: a small donkey often used as a pack animal

More from Merriam-Webster on burro

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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