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burdener

 - 4 dictionary results

bur⋅den

1[bur-dn]
–noun
1. that which is carried; load: a horse's burden of rider and pack.
2. that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus: the burden of leadership.
3. Nautical.
a. the weight of a ship's cargo.
b. the carrying capacity of a ship.
4. Mining. overburden (def. 3).
5. Metallurgy. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.
6. Accounting. overhead (def. 6).
–verb (used with object)
7. to load heavily.
8. to load oppressively; trouble.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME, var. of burthen, OE byrthen; akin to G Bürde, Goth baurthei; see bear 1


bur⋅den⋅er, noun
bur⋅den⋅less, adjective


1. See load. 2. weight, encumbrance, impediment. 8. weigh down, saddle, try, afflict, perturb, plague, grieve, vex.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

burden 
O.E. byrðen "a load," from P.Gmc. *burthinjo "that which is borne" (cf. O.N. byrðr, O.S. burthinnia, Ger. bürde, Goth. baurþei), from PIE *bher- "carry, give birth." The shift from -th- to -d- took place beginning 12c. (cf. murder). Archaic burthen is occasionally retained for the specific sense of "capacity of a ship." Sense of "leading idea" (1649) and "refrain or chorus of a song" (1598) are from use in M.E. bibles to translate Heb. massa "lifting up (of the voice), oracle;" but this sense is generally taken in Eng. as "a heavy lot, fate."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: bur·den
Function: noun
1 : something that is a duty, obligation, or responsibility burden of proving every element of the offense> burdens> <burden of pleading the necessary elements>
2 : BURDEN OF PROOF burden on the insanity issue —Case & Comment>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bur·den
Pronunciation: 'b&rd-&n
Function: noun
: LOAD3burden> burden>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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