burr
/bɜː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈɚ] /bɜːr/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈɚ] /ˈbər/ (ame, mw)
burr — noun
- burrsingular
- burrsplural
1. a way of saying the letter 'r' that makes it sound strong, rolled, or growling —
a way of saying the letter 'r' that makes it sound strong, rolled, or growling — a feature of Scottish and some northern English speech
Tamar spoke with a soft Scottish burr that her students found charming.
collocation: soft burr / Scottish burr
Benjamin could not understand the farmer's thick Yorkshire burr.
A gentle burr crept into Jin's voice whenever she talked about her hometown in Aberdeen.
The actor learned to produce a convincing Highland burr for the role.
Yara noticed the old man's burr growing stronger after a few drinks at the pub.
文法句型
a burr
in a burr
with a burr
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 4 (WHIRRING SOUND): this sense describes a way of speaking, not a mechanical noise.
常見錯誤
2. the small, round, spiky case that holds the seeds of certain plants and clings t
the small, round, spiky case that holds the seeds of certain plants and clings to clothing or animal fur when brushed against
Maeve pulled dozens of tiny burrs from her dog's fur after the walk through the field.
collocation: tiny burrs / pull burrs from
The children threw burrs at one another's jumpers and laughed when they stuck.
Sven's socks were covered in burrs after he ran through the tall grass.
Nila showed the class how burrs inspired the invention of Velcro.
A single burr clung to the hem of Amani's skirt all through the afternoon.
文法句型
a burr
burrs
covered in burrs
3. a rounded, bumpy knob that forms on a tree trunk or branch; when cut through, it
a rounded, bumpy knob that forms on a tree trunk or branch; when cut through, it shows an intricate, swirling grain much valued in cabinetry and wood turning
The cabinetmaker paid a high price for a large walnut burr with a striking pattern.
collocation: walnut burr
Zola ran her fingers over the polished surface of the elm burr bowl.
collocation: elm burr / burr bowl
Minh carved a beautiful spoon from a small oak burr found in the forest.
The table's centrepiece was a slice of redwood burr with swirling dark lines.
文法句型
a burr
burr wood
burr of a tree
用法筆記
In American English this tree growth is more commonly spelled 'burl'; 'burr' is the usual British spelling.
常見錯誤
4. a steady, low humming or buzzing noise that a machine or its moving parts makes
a steady, low humming or buzzing noise that a machine or its moving parts makes while running
The only sound in the workshop was the soft burr of the lathe.
collocation: soft burr / the burr of [machine]
Brooke woke to the distant burr of a lawnmower on a Sunday morning.
collocation: distant burr
The old refrigerator answered with a quiet burr every time the kitchen fell silent.
Vivek found the gentle burr of the ceiling fan oddly comforting at night.
文法句型
the burr of a
a soft burr
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (ACCENT): this sense describes a mechanical humming, not a speech sound.
常見錯誤
5. a thin, sharp ridge or rough leftover bit on metal, plastic, or wood that remain
a thin, sharp ridge or rough leftover bit on metal, plastic, or wood that remains after it has been cut, drilled, or shaped
Hoa ran a file over the cut edge of the pipe to remove the burr.
collocation: remove the burr / file over the edge
The machinist checked every piece for burrs before sending the order out.
collocation: check for burrs
A tiny burr on the inside of the ring caught Andrés's finger and drew blood.
The apprentice learned to smooth burrs from freshly drilled holes in the steel plates.
- rough edge
a more general, less technical phrase for the same thing
- ridge
a raised line; a burr is specifically an unwanted ridge from cutting
- projection
a broader term for anything sticking out; a burr is a specific type of projection
文法句型
a burr on
remove burrs
check for burrs
用法筆記
Common in metalworking and machining contexts. Can also be spelled 'bur.'
常見錯誤
burr — verb
- burrpresent simple I / you / we / they
- burrs3rd person singular
- burring-ing form
- burredpast simple
1. to speak or say words with the strong, rolled 'r' sound that is typical of certa
to speak or say words with the strong, rolled 'r' sound that is typical of certain English accents
The old fisherman burred his way through the story, and the tourists leaned in to listen.
intransitive: burr one's way through
Eshe burred every 'r' so richly that you could tell she grew up in the Highlands.
transitive: burr every 'r'
Otis found himself burring his words after a week staying with his Glasgow cousins.
The actor burred the line perfectly, fooling even the Scottish crew members.
文法句型
burr (intransitive)
burr + something (transitive)
用法筆記
Can be used both transitively ('she burred her r's') and intransitively ('he burred on through the story'). The transitive use often takes 'r's' or 'words' as the object.
2. to make a steady, low humming or buzzing noise, as a machine or its parts do whe
to make a steady, low humming or buzzing noise, as a machine or its parts do when running
The old film projector burred softly in the darkened room.
intransitive: [machine] burrs
A small drone burred overhead, filming the wedding from above.
The ceiling fan burred all night, its steady sound helping Samir fall asleep.
The sewing machine burred steadily as Emma worked on the hem of the dress.
文法句型
something burrs
3. to form a rough, raised edge or sharp ridge on a piece of metal, plastic, or oth
to form a rough, raised edge or sharp ridge on a piece of metal, plastic, or other material during cutting or shaping
The dull blade burred the edge of the copper pipe instead of cutting it cleanly.
transitive: burr the edge
If you push the drill too fast, it will burr the back of the hole.
The stamped metal parts were burred along one side and needed extra finishing.
If the saw blade is worn, it will burr the aluminium and leave sharp splinters.
- roughen
general term for making anything rough; 'burr' is specific to edges formed in cutting or drilling
文法句型
burr + something
用法筆記
This sense describes creating a rough edge — the opposite of verb sense 4 (REMOVE BURRS), which means smoothing one away.
常見錯誤
4. to clean away the rough edges or sharp ridges from a piece of material after it
to clean away the rough edges or sharp ridges from a piece of material after it has been cut, drilled, or machined
Yael spent the afternoon burring the edges of the freshly cut steel brackets.
transitive: burr the edges
The technician burred every hole before fitting the parts together.
You must burr the inside of the pipe thoroughly or the gasket will tear.
Andrei burred the inside of each ring before handing them to the jeweller.
文法句型
burr + something
用法筆記
This sense describes removing a rough edge — the opposite of verb sense 3 (FORM ROUGH EDGE), which means creating one. Alternative spelling: 'bur.'