burg|er /bɜː r gə r / (burgers ) N‑COUNT A burger is a flat round mass of minced meat or vegetables, which is fried and often eaten in a bread roll. □ …burger and chips. □ …vegetable burgers.
burgh|er /bɜː r gə r / (burghers ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] The burghers of a town or city are the people who live there, especially the richer or more respectable people. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bur|glar /bɜː r glə r / (burglars ) N‑COUNT A burglar is a thief who enters a house or other building by force. □ Burglars broke into their home.
bu r|glar alarm (burglar alarms ) N‑COUNT A burglar alarm is an electric device that makes a bell ring loudly if someone tries to enter a building by force.
bur|glar|ize /bɜː r gləra I z/ (burglarizes , burglarizing , burglarized ) VERB [usu passive] If a building is burglarized , a thief enters it by force and steals things. [AM ] □ [be V -ed] Her home was burglarized. in BRIT, use burgle
bur|gla|ry /bɜː r gləri/ (burglaries ) N‑VAR If someone commits a burglary , they enter a building by force and steal things. Burglary is the act of doing this. □ An 11-year-old boy committed a burglary. □ He's been arrested for burglary.
bur|gle /bɜː r g ə l/ (burgles , burgling , burgled ) VERB If a building is burgled , a thief enters it by force and steals things. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] I found that my flat had been burgled. □ [V n] Two teenagers burgled the home of Mr Jones's mother. in AM, use burglarize
bur|gun|dy /bɜː r gəndi/ (burgundies )
1 COLOUR Burgundy is used to describe things that are purplish-red in colour. □ He was wearing a burgundy polyester jacket. □ …burgundy-coloured armchairs.
2 N‑VAR Burgundy is a type of wine. It can be white or red in colour and comes from the region of France called Burgundy. □ …a bottle of white burgundy.
bur|ial /be riəl/ (burials ) N‑VAR A burial is the act or ceremony of putting a dead body into a grave in the ground. □ The priest prepared the body for burial. □ He can have a decent burial.
bu r|ial ground (burial grounds ) N‑COUNT A burial ground is a place where bodies are buried, especially an ancient place. □ …an ancient burial ground.
bur|lap /bɜː r læp/ N‑UNCOUNT Burlap is a thick, rough fabric that is used for making sacks. [AM ] □ …a burlap sack. in BRIT, use hessian
bur|lesque /bɜː r le sk/ (burlesques ) N‑VAR A burlesque is a performance or a piece of writing that makes fun of something by copying it in an exaggerated way. You can also use burlesque to refer to a situation in real life that is like this. □ The book read like a black comic burlesque. □ …a trio of burlesque Moscow stereotypes.
bur|ly /bɜː r li/ (burlier , burliest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A burly man has a broad body and strong muscles. □ He was a big, burly man.
Bur|mese /bɜː r miː z/ (Burmese )
1 ADJ Burmese means belonging or relating to Burma, or to its people, language, or culture. Burma is now known as Myanmar.
2 N‑COUNT A Burmese is a person who comes from Burma.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Burmese is the main language spoken by the people who live in Burma, now known as Myanmar.
burn ◆◆◇ /bɜː r n/ (burns , burning , burned , burnt ) The past tense and past participle is burned in American English, and burned or burnt in British English. 1 VERB If there is a fire or a flame somewhere, you say that there is a fire or flame burning there. □ [V ] Fires were burning out of control in the center of the city. □ [V ] There was a fire burning in the large fireplace.
2 VERB If something is burning , it is on fire. □ [V ] When I arrived one of the vehicles was still burning. □ [V -ing] That boy was rescued from a burning house. ● burn|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ When we arrived in our village there was a terrible smell of burning.
3 VERB If you burn something, you destroy or damage it with fire. □ [V n] Protesters set cars on fire and burned a building. □ [V n] Coal fell out of the fire, and burned the carpet. ● burn|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the burning of the great library at Alexandria.
4 VERB If you burn a fuel or if it burns , it is used to produce heat, light, or energy. □ [V n] The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region. □ [V ] Manufacturers are working with new fuels to find one that burns more cleanly than petrol.
5 VERB If you burn something that you are cooking or if it burns , you spoil it by using too much heat or cooking it for too long. □ [V n] I burnt the toast. □ [V ] Watch them carefully as they finish cooking because they can burn easily. ● burnt ADJ □ …the smell of burnt toast.
6 VERB If you burn part of your body, burn yourself , or are burnt , you are injured by fire or by something very hot. □ [V n] Take care not to burn your fingers. □ [be V -ed] If you are badly burnt, seek medical attention. [Also V pron-refl] ● N‑COUNT Burn is also a noun. □ She suffered appalling burns to her back.