/bɜː
r
nt/
Burnt
is a past tense and past participle of
burn
.
bu
rnt-out
also
burned-out
1
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n]
Burnt-out
vehicles or buildings have been so badly damaged by fire that they can no longer be used. □
…a burnt-out car.
2
ADJ
If someone is
burnt-out
, they exhaust themselves at an early stage in their life or career because they have achieved too much too quickly. [INFORMAL
] □
But everyone I know who kept it up at that intensity is burnt out.
burp
/bɜː
r
p/ (burps
, burping
, burped
) VERB
When someone
burps
, they make a noise because air from their stomach has been forced up through their throat. □ [V
]
Charlie burped loudly.
● N‑COUNT
Burp
is also a noun. □
There followed a barely audible burp.
burqa
/bɜː
r
kə/ also
burka
(burqas
) N‑COUNT
A
burqa
is a long garment that covers the head and body and is traditionally worn by women in Islamic countries.
burr
/bɜː
r
/ (burrs
)
The spelling
bur
is also used for meaning 1
.
1
N‑COUNT
A
burr
is the part of some plants which contains seeds and which has little hooks on the outside so that it sticks to clothes or fur.
2
N‑COUNT
[usu sing] If someone has a
burr
, they speak English with a regional accent in which 'r' sounds are pronounced more strongly than in the standard British way of speaking. □
…a warm West Country burr.
N‑COUNT
A
burrow
is a tunnel or hole in the ground that is dug by an animal such as a rabbit.
2
VERB
If an animal
burrows
into the ground or into a surface, it moves through it by making a tunnel or hole. □ [V
prep/adv]
The larvae burrow into cracks in the floor.
3
VERB
If you
burrow
in a container or pile of things, you search there for something using your hands. □ [V
prep/adv]
He burrowed into the pile of charts feverishly.
4
VERB
If you
burrow
into something, you move underneath it or press against it, usually in order to feel warmer or safer. □ [V
prep/adv]
She turned her face away from him, burrowing into her heap of covers.
bur|sar
/bɜː
r
sə
r
/ (bursars
) N‑COUNT
The
bursar
of a school or college is the person who is in charge of its finance or general administration.
bur|sa|ry
/bɜː
r
səri/ (bursaries
) N‑COUNT
A
bursary
is a sum of money which is given to someone to allow them to study in a college or university. [mainly BRIT
]
burst
◆◇◇ /bɜː
r
st/ (bursts
, bursting
)
The form
burst
is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.
1
VERB
If something
bursts
or if you
burst
it, it suddenly breaks open or splits open and the air or other substance inside it comes out. □ [V
]
The driver lost control when a tyre burst.
□ [V
n]
It is not a good idea to burst a blister.
□ [V
-ed]
…a flood caused by a burst pipe.
2
VERB
If a dam
bursts
, or if something
bursts
it, it breaks apart because the force of the river is too great. □ [V
]
A dam burst and flooded their villages.
[Also V
n]
3
VERB
If a river
bursts
its banks, the water rises and goes on to the land. □ [V
n]
Monsoons caused the river to burst its banks.
4
VERB
When a door or lid
bursts
open, it opens very suddenly and violently because someone pushes it or there is great pressure behind it. □ [V
open
]
The door burst open and an angry young nurse appeared.
[Also V
apart
]
5
VERB
To
burstinto
or out
of a place means to enter or leave it suddenly with a lot of energy or force. □ [V
prep/adv]
Gunmen burst into his home and opened fire.
6
VERB
If you say that something
bursts
onto the scene, you mean that it suddenly starts or becomes active, usually after developing quietly for some time. [JOURNALISM
] □ [V
+ onto/upon
]
He burst onto the fashion scene in the early 1980s.
7
N‑COUNT
A
burstof
something is a sudden short period of it. □ [+ of
]
…a burst of machine-gun fire.
□
The current flows in little bursts.