burr, n. [OE. burre burdock; cf. Dan. borre, OSw. borra, burdock, thistle; perh. akin to E. bristle (burr- for burz-), or perh. to F. bourre hair, wool, stuff; also, according to Cotgrave, “the downe, or hairie coat, wherewith divers herbes, fruits, and flowers, are covered,” fr. L. burrae trifles, LL. reburrus rough.].

Any rough or prickly envelope of the seeds of plants, whether a pericarp, a persistent calyx, or an involucre, as of the chestnut and burdock; a seed vessel having hooks or prickles. Also, any weed which bears burs. [1913 Webster]
"Amongst rude burs and thistles." [1913 Webster]

"Bur and brake and brier." [1913 Webster]
The thin ridge left by a tool in cutting or shaping metal. See Burr, n., 2. [1913 Webster]
A ring of iron on a lance or spear. See Burr, n., 4. [1913 Webster]
The lobe of the ear. See Burr, n., 5. [1913 Webster]
The sweetbread. [1913 Webster]
A clinker; a partially vitrified brick. [1913 Webster]
A small circular saw. [1913 Webster]
The round knob of an antler next to a deer's head. [1913 Webster]

Bur oak (Bot.), a useful and ornamental species of oak (Quercus macrocarpa) with ovoid acorns inclosed in deep cups imbricated with pointed scales. It grows in the Middle and Western United States, and its wood is tough, close-grained, and durable. -- Bur reed (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sparganium, having long ribbonlike leaves.

burr, n. [See Bur.].

A prickly seed vessel. See Bur, 1. [1913 Webster]
The thin edge or ridge left by a tool in cutting or shaping metal, as in turning, engraving, pressing, etc.; also, the rough neck left on a bullet in casting. [1913 Webster]
"The graver, in plowing furrows in the surface of the copper, raises corresponding ridges or burrs." [1913 Webster]
A thin flat piece of metal, formed from a sheet by punching; a small washer put on the end of a rivet before it is swaged down. [1913 Webster]
A broad iron ring on a tilting lance just below the gripe, to prevent the hand from slipping. [1913 Webster]
The lobe or lap of the ear. [1913 Webster]
A guttural pronounciation of the letter r, produced by trilling the extremity of the soft palate against the back part of the tongue; rotacism; -- often called the Newcastle burr, Northumberland burr, or Tweedside burr. [1913 Webster]
The knot at the bottom of an antler. See Bur, n., 8. [1913 Webster]

burr, v. i.

To speak with burr; to make a hoarse or guttural murmur. Mrs. Browning. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

burr, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a whirring sound. b a rough sounding of the letter r.
2 (also bur) a a rough edge left on cut or punched metal or paper. b a surgeon's or dentist's small drill.
3 a a siliceous rock used for millstones. b a whetstone.
4 = BUR 1, 2.
5 the coronet of a deer's antler.
--v.
1 tr. pronounce with a burr.
2 intr. speak indistinctly.
3 intr. make a whirring sound.

Etymology

var. of BUR

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THESAURUS

burr

accent, adherent, adhesive, barnacle, belch, blare, blat, boll, bramble, bray, brier, bristle, broad accent, brogue, bulldog, buzz, cackle, cactus, capsule, catchweed, caw, cement, chirr, chiseling, clang, clangor, clank, clash, cleavers, cod, craunch, croak, cross-hatching, crump, crunch, decal, decalcomania, demitint, drawl, engravement, engraving, etch, etching, follicle, gem-engraving, glass-cutting, glue, glyptic, goose grass, graving, grind, groan, growl, grumble, gunk, half tint, hatching, hull, husk, incision, inscript, inscription, jangle, jar, leech, legume, legumen, limpet, line, lining, marking, molasses, mucilage, needle, nettle, paste, pease cod, pericarp, pine needle, plaster, pod, prickle, quill, rasp, regional accent, remora, score, scoring, scranch, scrape, scratch, scratching, scrunch, seed pod, seed vessel, seedbox, seedcase, silique, slash, slashing, snarl, snore, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, sticker, stipple, stippling, syrup, thistle, thorn, tint, tooling, twang, type-cutting, yucca

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ROGET THESAURUS

burr

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

Stridor

VB creak, grate, jar, burr, pipe, twang, jangle, clank, clink, scream, yelp, buzz, set the teeth on edge, corcher les oreilles, pierce the ears, split the ears, split the head, offend the ear, grate upon the ear, jar upon the ear.

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