Word of the Day: Borough, Burro and Burrow
borough
bor-ough / bûr-ō
noun
1. an incorporated town in some states
Our language can be seen as an ancient city: a maze of little streets and squares, of old and new houses, and of houses with additions from various periods; and this surrounded by a multitude of new boroughs with straight regular streets and uniform houses.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889 – 1951
2. an administrative unit of a large city
I know there’s Brooklyn and all the boroughs, but Manhattan specifically is so condensed that the energy is very vibrant.
Theo James, 1984 –
3. a division in Alaska, similar to a county in other US States
The U.S. state of Alaska is divided into 19 organized boroughs and one Unorganized Borough. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_boroughs_and_census_areas_in_Alaska, 7-24-2019
4. a fortified or secure village or town
The church of St. Nicholas was the religious centre of the medieval borough of the same name and performed an important military and defensive function for the people of the borough. “Pamplona – Kingdom of Navarra”, www.turismo.navarra.es
5. in Great Britain, a town that is represented by a Parliament Member or an incorporated, self-governing community
Representation in the boroughs was on a less worthy scale in the reign of George III. From “Lord John Russell” by Stuart J. Reid, 1848 – 1927
burro
bur-ro / bûr-ō, bŭr-ō or bo͝or-ō
noun
1. a small donkey, often used to carry loads
We’ll take a burro, or a pack-train of burros,’ was my suggestion.
From “The Red One” by Jack London, 1876 – 1916
burrow
bur-row / bûr-ō, bŭr-ō
noun
1. a den in a tunnel or hole made by a small animal
The burrows have two or more doors, so that if a weasel or some other enemy goes in at one door, the rabbit runs out at the other.
From “Friends in Feathers and Fur, and Other Neighbors” by James Johonnot, 1823 – 1888
2. a small, snug place
Her home is the burrow of a bibliophile hobbit — low-ceilinged, close-walled, and brimming over with books.
From “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan, 1979 –
verb
1. to dig or hide in a hole or tunnel
Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he canburrow into the ground like a mole.
Tommy Douglas 1904-1986
2. to move or proceed in a manner that resembles tunneling or digging
And some time,’ said she, ‘I will show you the library: I never examined its shelves, but, I daresay, it is full of wise books; and you may go and burrowamong them whenever you please.
From “Agnes Grey” by Ann Bronte, 1820 – 1849
Thank you for including the Dictionary Project in the good work you do in your club. In my club, we have provided Dictionaries for third-grade students for enough years that now we are having former students help us to present dictionaries each year. They are often returning to the same classrooms that they were third-grade students. Teachers plead every year for us to NEVER quit this valuable project. They tell us that students NEED paper books to learn to read, to learn to do research and to do independent study. Please send me pictures of your presentations and tell me about your visits to the schools to give dictionaries to the students. To be included in our newsletter you can send me your stories at DG.2019@5630mail.org.
