burr

UK: /'bɜː/ US: /bɝ/ ,(bûr)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

burr¹ /bɜr/   n. 

[countable]
1. Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy a ragged edge formed on metal while during drilling, shearing, or engraving.
2. a rough lump that sticks out on any object, as on a tree.
3. Metallurgy a hand-held rotary power tool used to cut small holes.

v. [~ + object]

4. to form a rough point or edge on.
5. to remove burrs from.

Also, bur (for defs. 1, 3. ).
burr³ /bɜr/   n. 

[countable]
1. Phonetics a special pronunciation of (r) in some Northern English dialects or as in Scottish English.
2. a whirring noise.

v. [no object]

3. to make a whirring sound:
   The phones in Europe don't seem to ring; they burr.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

burr¹  (bûr), n. 

1. Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy Also, buhr. a protruding, ragged edge raised on the surface of metal during drilling, shearing, punching, or engraving.
2. a rough or irregular protuberance on any object, as on a tree.
3. Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy a small, hand-held, power-driven milling cutter, used by machinists and die makers for deepening, widening, or undercutting small recesses.
4. a lump of brick fused or warped in firing.

v.t. 

5. to form a rough point or edge on.
6. deburr. Also, bur (for defs. 1, 3).

• spelling, spelled variant of bur¹ 1605–15

burr²  (bûr), n. 

1. Building a washer placed at the head of a rivet.
2. Metallurgy a blank punched out of a piece of sheet metal.

Also, bur. 

• 1375–1425; late Middle English burrewez (plural), buruhe circle, variant of brough round tower; see broch

burr³  (bûr), n. 

1. Phonetics a pronunciation of the r- sound as a uvular trill, as in certain Northern English dialects.
2. Phonetics a pronunciation of the r- sound as an alveolar flap or trill, as in Scottish English.
3. any pronunciation popularly considered rough or nonurban.
4. a whirring noise.

v.i. 

5. to speak with a burr.
6. to speak roughly, indistinctly, or inarticulately.
7. to make a whirring sound.

v.t. 

8. to pronounce (words, sounds, etc.) with a burr.

• apparently both imitative and associative, the sound being thought of as rough like a bur 1750–60

burr⁴  (bûr), n. 

1. Rocks burstone.

Also, buhr. 

• Middle English burre, probably so called from its roughness 1250–1300

Burr  (bûr), n. 

1. Biographical Aaron, 1756–1836, vice president of the U.S. 1801–05.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

burr / bɜː/ noun

1. a small power-driven hand-operated rotary file, esp for removing burrs or for machining recesses
2. a rough edge left on a workpiece after cutting, drilling, etc
3. a rough or irregular protuberance, such as a burl on a tree

noun , verb

1. a variant spelling of bur

Etymology: 14th Century: variant of bur

burr / bɜː/ noun

1. an articulation of (r) characteristic of certain English dialects, esp the uvular fricative trill of Northumberland or the retroflex r of the West of England
2. a whirring sound

verb

1. to pronounce (words) with a burr
2. to make a whirring sound

Etymology: 18th Century: either special use of bur (in the sense: rough sound) or of imitative origin

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Burr / bɜː/ noun

1. Aaron. 1756–1836, US vice-president (1800–04), who fled after killing a political rival in a duel and plotted to create an independent empire in the western US; acquitted (1807) of treason