burrow

Meaning

Noun

1. A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.
2. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete form of barrow (“a mound”).
3. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete form of borough (“an incorporated town”).

Verb

1. (intransitive) To dig a tunnel or hole.
2. (intransitive) To move underneath or press up against in search of safety or comfort.
3. (intransitive) To investigate thoroughly.

Synonyms

hole

🕳️

den

dig

lair

tunnel

hollow

cave

excavate

delve

pit

cavity

nest

rout

rummage

cut

form

mine

opening

root

trench

warren

dig into

dig out

dig up

dimple

ditch

dive

doghouse

dredge

drey

drive

duck

🦆

earth

cavern

lean upon

gopher

go through

hide

hive

box

📦

bowl

hollow out

holt

house

🏠

investigate

joint

bore

leak

snuggle up

baste

Translations

terrier

madriguera

Bau

tana

toca

hol

🕳️

τρώγλη

Kaninchenbau

cau

Höhle

Kaninchenhöhle

φωλιά

τρυπώνω

clapier

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbʌɹəʊ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: borowe

Cognate with Middle English: burgh

Inherited from Old English: burh

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-West Germanic *burg, 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”).