burden
bur·den (bʉrd′'n)
noun
- anything that is carried; load
- anything one has to bear or put up with; heavy load, as of work, duty, responsibility, or sorrow
- the carrying of loads a beast of burden
- the carrying capacity of a ship
Etymology: ME birthen < OE byrthen, akin to ON byrthr, a load: for IE base see bear
transitive verb
bur·den (bʉrd′'n)
noun
- Archaic a bass accompaniment in music
- a chorus or refrain of a song
- the drone of a bagpipe
- a repeated, central idea; theme the burden of a speech
Etymology: ME burdoun, bass in music, refrain < OFr bourdon, a humming, buzzing < ML burdo, wind instrument, bumblebee; of echoic orig.
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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