Definitions for burden
ˈbɜr dnbur·den

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. burden, load, encumbrance, incumbrance, onusnoun

   an onerous or difficult concern

   "the burden of responsibility"; "that's a load off my mind"

2. load, loading, burdennoun

   weight to be borne or conveyed

3. effect, essence, burden, core, gistnoun

   the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work

4. burdenverb

   the central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse

5. burden, burthen, weight, weight downverb

   weight down with a load

6. charge, saddle, burdenverb

   impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to

   "He charged her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. burdennoun

   A heavy load.

2. burdennoun

   A responsibility, onus.

3. burdennoun

   A cause of worry.

4. burdennoun

   A phrase or theme that recurs at the end of each verse in a folk song or ballad; the drone of a bagpipe.

5. burdennoun

   Theme, core idea.

6. burdenverb

   To encumber with a burden (in any of the noun senses of the word).

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Burdennoun

   that which is borne or carried; a load

2. Burdennoun

   that which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive

3. Burdennoun

   the capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden

4. Burdennoun

   the tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin

5. Burdennoun

   the proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace

6. Burdennoun

   a fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds

7. Burdennoun

   a birth

8. Burdenverb

   to encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load

9. Burdenverb

   to oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes

10. Burdenverb

    to impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable)

11. Burdennoun

    the verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer

12. Burdennoun

    the drone of a bagpipe

13. Burdennoun

    a club

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Burden

   Burden is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 535.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Burden

   bur′dn, n. a load: weight: cargo: that which is grievous, oppressive, or difficult to bear, as blame, sin, sorrow, &c.: birth.—v.t. to load: to oppress: to encumber.—adjs. Bur′denous, Bur′densome, heavy: oppressive.—Burden of proof, in legal procedure, signifies the obligation to establish by evidence certain disputed facts. [A.S. byrthen—beran, to bear.]

2. Burden

   bur′dn, n. part of a song repeated at the end of every stanza, refrain: the leading idea of anything: a load of care, sorrow, or responsibility. [Fr. bourdon, a humming tone in music—Low L. burdo, a drone or non-working bee.]

3. Burden

   bur′dn, n. (Spens.) a pilgrim's staff. [See Bourdon.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. burden

   Is the quantity of contents or number of tons weight of goods or munitions which a ship will carry, when loaded to a proper sea-trim: and this is ascertained by certain fixed rules of measurement. The precise burden or burthen is about twice the tonnage, but then a vessel would be deemed deeply laden.

Matched Categories

1. • Meaning

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'burden' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3693

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'burden' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4603

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'burden' in Nouns Frequency: #1388

How to pronounce burden?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say burden in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of burden in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of burden in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of burden in a Sentence

1. Tina Fordham:

   The UK's perceived failure to participate in burden-sharing could further undermine David Cameron's ability to extract concessions ahead of the referendum.

2. Chris Christie:

   The unique approach Ford brings will help build on my administration's approach to responsible management of the state's finances and prudent oversight of taxpayer funds, i look forward to his insights on fiscal and tax policy solutions that will continue growing our economy and bringing much-needed relief to the burden shouldered by New Jersey taxpayers.

3. Oscar Auliq-Ice:

   Apartheid continues to thrive with the same strength but in a different form, and this puts a heavier burden on the shoulders of those who wish to fight against Apartheid types of injustice.

4. Robert Redfield:

   This needs to be a partnership. It's not all the burden of the federal government to invest in public health at the local level.

5. The EPA:

   The agency will continue these collaborative efforts for any revised ozone standards, including working with California as it continues to explore regulatory strategies and technologies to reduce pollution and improve public health protection, california has faced a uniquely difficult attainment task due to the combination of adverse meteorology and topography, population growth, and the pollution burden associated with mobile sources.

Images & Illustrations of burden

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