burrow
Meaning
-
- A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.
- A heap or heaps of rubbish or refuse.
- (obsolete) Obsolete form of barrow. A mound.
- (obsolete) Obsolete form of borough. An incorporated town.
Synonyms
lean upon
rat-hole
poke into
bore in
burrow in
ensconce oneself
drill through
worm-hole
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈbʌɹəʊ/
Etymology
In summary
From Middle English borowe, borewe, borwȝ, burȝe, burh, burye (“refuge for an animal, lair, burrow”), apparently a variant of Middle English burgh (“fortified dwelling, stronghold, refuge”) (see borough) and thus from Old English burh, from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold, city”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“high”), but this sense is not known in Old English burh. Compare, however, Dutch cognate burcht, which has a similar sense. It may be related to bury (“to dig”), in which case it would be derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect, defend, save, preserve”).
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Notes
