burrow
/ˈbʌr.əʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɝː.oʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbər-(ˌ)ō ˈbə-(ˌ)rō/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbʌrəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɜːrəʊ/ (ame, ipa)
burrow — noun
1. an underground tunnel or small chamber that a creature like a rabbit, fox, or ba
an underground tunnel or small chamber that a creature like a rabbit, fox, or badger scrapes out of the soil and uses as its home.
Maya's terrier sniffed at a rabbit burrow under the hedge.
noun phrase: a [animal] burrow
The fox vanished into its burrow as soon as the dogs barked.
possessive: its / their burrow
Each spring, badgers clean out their burrows and bring in fresh grass.
The biologist crouched and shone her torch into the dark burrow.
After the storm, several rabbit burrows had collapsed along the riverbank.
用法筆記
Subject is normally a small burrowing mammal (rabbit, fox, badger, mole, prairie dog). Often paired with possessives (its burrow, their burrow) to mark ownership of a specific den.
常見錯誤
burrow — verb
1. (of an animal or person) to scrape away soil with claws or hands so as to form a
(of an animal or person) to scrape away soil with claws or hands so as to form a tunnel or hidden space, often as a place to live.
Moles burrow under the lawn and leave small mounds of earth behind.
burrow + under + noun
The puppy tried to burrow into the soft sand at the beach.
burrow + into + noun
Wild rabbits burrow deep into the hillside before winter arrives.
Tiny crabs burrow quickly through the wet sand when waves pull back.
文法句型
burrow + into/under/through + noun
用法筆記
Almost always followed by an adverb or preposition of direction (into, under, through, down). The bare verb 'burrow' on its own is rare in modern English.
常見錯誤
2. to push your body, head, or face firmly into a soft place, or against another pe
to push your body, head, or face firmly into a soft place, or against another person, in order to feel warm, safe, or hidden.
Lina burrowed under the thick blanket and closed her tired eyes.
burrow + under + noun
The frightened puppy burrowed into Marcus's coat during the thunderstorm.
burrow + into + person's clothing
The toddler burrowed her face into her mother's shoulder and refused to look up.
On cold mornings, the cat burrows deeper into the pile of clean laundry.
文法句型
burrow + into/under + noun
burrow + body part + into + noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DIG TUNNEL): here no soil is moved — the action is about pressing into something soft (a blanket, coat, shoulder, cushion). Often used with small children, pets, or someone seeking comfort.
常見錯誤
3. to look for something by pushing your hand or arm deep among many objects, such
to look for something by pushing your hand or arm deep among many objects, such as papers in a drawer or items in a bag.
Carlos burrowed through his backpack for the missing house keys.
burrow + through + container
The reporter burrowed in the old files until she found the right photograph.
burrow + in + collection
Grandma burrowed into her huge handbag and pulled out a sticky toffee.
Detectives burrowed through stacks of receipts looking for unusual payments.
- rummage
very close in meaning; perhaps slightly more about messy hand movement
- dig
informal; often used the same way (dig through a drawer)
- rifle through
quicker and rougher; can suggest looking without permission
文法句型
burrow + through/in/into + noun
用法筆記
Figurative extension of sense 1: the searcher's hand or arm acts like a digging animal. Object is usually a place full of small items (drawer, bag, pile of papers, files). Distinguish from sense 2 (SNUGGLE): here the goal is to find something, not to feel warm.