[burl] 
| 1. | a small knot or lump in wool, thread, or cloth. |
| 2. | a dome-shaped growth on the trunk of a tree; a wartlike structure sometimes 2 ft. (0.6 m) across and 1 ft. (0.3 m) or more in height, sliced to make veneer. |
| 3. | to remove burls from (cloth) in finishing. |
| burl (bûrl) n.
To dress or finish (cloth) by removing knots, lumps, slubs, or loose threads. [Middle English burle, from Old French bourle, tuft of wool, diminutive of bourre, coarse wool, from Late Latin burra, shaggy garment.] burl'er n. |
burl (bûrl) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) A large, rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree. Burls develop from one or more twig buds whose cells continue to multiply but never differentiate so that the twig can elongate into a limb. Burls do not usually cause harm to trees. |