Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

burgess

 - 5 dictionary results
Burgess VA Hotels
Compare Hotels in Burgess VA for the Best Rates. Free Search!
BookingBuddy.com/Hotels/Burgess

bur⋅gess

  [bur-jis]
Use burgess in a Sentence
–noun
1. American History. a representative in the popular branch of the colonial legislature of Virginia or Maryland.
2. (formerly) a representative of a borough in the British Parliament.
3. Rare. an inhabitant of an English borough.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME burgeis < AF, OF, equiv. to burg city (< Gmc) + -eis < L -ēnsis -ensis; cf. -ese
Burgess VA Hotels
Compare Hotels in Burgess VA for the Best Rates. Free Search!
BookingBuddy.com/Hotels/Burgess

Bur⋅gess

  [bur-jis]
–noun
1. Anthony, 1917–93, English novelist and critic.
2. (Frank) Ge⋅lett  [juh-let] , 1866–1951, U.S. illustrator and humorist.
3. Thornton Waldo, 1874–1965, U.S. author, esp. of children's books.
4. a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To burgess
bur·gess   (bûr'jĭs)   
n.  

  1. A freeman or citizen of an English borough.

  2. A member of the English Parliament who once represented a town, borough, or university.

  3. A member of the lower house of the legislature of colonial Virginia or Maryland.


[Middle English burgeis, from Old French, from Late Latin burgēnsis, from burgus, fortified town; see bhergh-2 in Indo-European roots.]
Bur·gess   (bûr'jĭs)   
British writer and critic noted for his comic novels, including the futuristic classic A Clockwork Orange (1962).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

burgess 
c.1225, burgeis "citizen of a borough," from O.Fr. burgeis, L.L. burgensis (see bourgeois). Applied from 1472 to borough representatives in Parliament and in Va. and other colonies used to denote members of the legislative body, while in Pa., etc., it meant "member of the governing council of a borough."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see burgess on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way