burrow
/ˈbʌr.əʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɝː.oʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbər-(ˌ)ō ˈbə-(ˌ)rō/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbʌrəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɜːrəʊ/ (ame, ipa)
burrow — 名詞
1. an underground tunnel or small chamber that a creature like a rabbit, fox, or ba
地洞；獸穴
動物在地下挖出的居住洞穴
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.
Maya 的㹴犬在樹籬底下嗅了嗅一個兔子地洞。
noun phrase: a [animal] burrow
The fox vanished into its burrow as soon as the dogs barked.
狗一吠，那隻狐狸馬上就鑽進牠的獸穴裡。
possessive: its / their burrow
Each spring, badgers clean out their burrows and bring in fresh grass.
每年春天，獾會把自己的地洞清乾淨，再叼些新鮮的草進去。
The biologist crouched and shone her torch into the dark burrow.
那位生物學家蹲下身，把手電筒照進漆黑的地洞裡。
After the storm, several rabbit burrows had collapsed along the riverbank.
暴風雨過後，河岸邊有好幾個兔子地洞坍塌了。
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 — 動詞
1. (of an animal or person) to scrape away soil with claws or hands so as to form a
挖洞；打洞
動物用爪或工具在地下挖出通道
(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.
鼴鼠在草坪底下挖洞，地面留下一堆堆小土丘。
burrow + under + noun
The puppy tried to burrow into the soft sand at the beach.
那隻小狗想在海邊柔軟的沙子裡挖洞。
burrow + into + noun
Wild rabbits burrow deep into the hillside before winter arrives.
野兔會在冬天到來前，往山坡深處打洞。
Tiny crabs burrow quickly through the wet sand when waves pull back.
海浪退去時，小螃蟹很快地在濕沙裡鑽洞。
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
鑽進；偎進
把身體擠進柔軟處取暖或求安慰
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.
Lina 鑽進厚厚的被子裡，閉上了疲倦的眼睛。
burrow + under + noun
The frightened puppy burrowed into Marcus's coat during the thunderstorm.
打雷時，那隻嚇壞的小狗鑽進了 Marcus 的外套裡。
burrow + into + person's clothing
The toddler burrowed her face into her mother's shoulder and refused to look up.
那個小小孩把臉埋進媽媽的肩膀裡，怎樣都不肯抬頭。
On cold mornings, the cat burrows deeper into the pile of clean laundry.
天氣冷的早上，貓會鑽進那疊乾淨的衣服裡，越鑽越深。
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
翻找；翻掏
把手伸進一堆東西裡尋找物品
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.
Carlos 在背包裡翻找不見的家裡鑰匙。
burrow + through + container
The reporter burrowed in the old files until she found the right photograph.
那位記者在舊檔案中翻找，直到找到那張正確的照片。
burrow + in + collection
Grandma burrowed into her huge handbag and pulled out a sticky toffee.
奶奶在她的大手提包裡翻掏，掏出了一顆黏黏的太妃糖。
Detectives burrowed through stacks of receipts looking for unusual payments.
警探翻找一疊疊收據，想找出可疑的款項。
- 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.