burro

noun

bur·​ro ˈbər-(ˌ)ō  ˈbu̇r- 

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

Synonyms of burro

• donkey
• mule

Examples of burro in a Sentence

used a burro to carry the supplies

Recent Examples on the Web

There are wild burros on the side of the dirt road—descendants of donkeys set loose in the 1890s after the gold and copper mines in the Bradshaw Mountains went bust. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026

Here, shabby homes enjoyed grand views, tired burros ambled along untethered, and island life trudged on, oblivious to tourism. —Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026

And more than 70,000 wild horses and burros now compete with livestock for forage. —Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 2 Dec. 2025

Saguaro cactuses are a keystone species in the Sonoran desert, but are facing new threats, such as rising temperatures, drought and even predators, like wild burros, that eat nearby shade plants. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for burro

• boro
• burrough
• burrow
• furrow
• thorough
• yarborough

Kids Definition

burro

noun

bur·​ro ˈbər-ō  ˈbu̇r- 

ˈbə-rō

plural burros

: a small donkey often used as a pack animal