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burner
B
CULTURAL NOTE Humorous drawings of burglars show them wearing STRIPED jumpers and carrying a large bag marked SWAG (=things they have stolen).
burglar a,larm n an apparatus that makes a loud warning noise, or operates a warning system at a police station etc, when a thief breaks into a building → see picture at ALARM
bur-glar-ize /'b3:gləraız||'b3:r-/ v AmE for BURGLE
bur-glar-y /'b3:gləri||'b3:r-/ n [C;U] (an example of) the crime of entering a building (especially a home) by force with the intention of stealing
bur-gle /'b3:gəl||'b3:r-/ also burglarize AmE — v [T] to break into a building and steal from (it or the people in it): Their house was burgled while they were away on holiday.
Bur-gun-dy /'b3:gəndi||'b3:r-/ n [C;U] a red or white wine from the Burgundy area of eastern France. Some of the most expensive wines in the world come from this area.
bur-i-al /'beriəl/ n [C;U] the act or ceremony of putting a dead body into a grave: a burial site/ground
burk /b3:k||b3:rk/ n a BERK
Burke, Ed-mund /b3:k||b3:rk, 'edmənd/ (1729-97) a British Whig politician, born in Dublin, Ireland. He wrote many works of political THEORY and was also a great speaker.
Burke, Kath-y /'kæθi/ (1964-) a British television, film, and theatre actress. She has appeared in TV comedy shows as well as serious films. Her films include Nil by Mouth, Elizabeth, and This Year's Love.
Burke and 'Hare two men in 19th-century Edinburgh who robbed graves and killed at least 15 people in order to sell dead bodies to be cut up by medical scientists
Burke's 'Peerage a book that gives details of all the NOBLE families in the UK who have special titles like 'Duke' and 'Earl'
Bur-ki-na Fa-so /b3:ki:nə 'fæsəʊ||b3:r,ki:nə 'fɑ:/ a very poor dry country in West Africa, to the north of Ghana and the east of Mali, which was formerly called Upper Volta. Population: 10,312,609 (1996). Capital: Ouagadougou.
bur-lap /'b3:læp||'b3:r-/ n [U] AmE for → HESSIAN
bur-lesque¹ /b3:'lesk||b3:r-/ n 1 [C;U] speech, acting, or writing in which a serious subject is made to seem foolish or an unimportant subject is treated solemnly as a joke: a burlesque of a famous poem 2 [U] (formerly in the US) VARIETY usually including STRIPTEASE
burlesque² v [T] to cause to appear amusing by means of burlesque: to burlesque a writer/a poem
bur-ly /'b3:li||'b3:rli/ adj (of a person) strongly and heavily built: a big burly construction worker —liness n [U]
Bur-ma /'b3:mə||'b3:r-/ the former name of MYANMAR, a country in east Asia. Burma is the name preferred by the National League for Democracy, led by AUNG SAN SUU KYI.
Burma 'Road, the a road leading from Burma (Myanmar) to China, which was used during World War II to supply Allied forces in China
Burma shave trademark a type of SHAVING CREAM that used to be very popular in the US
CULTURAL NOTE Burma shave is remembered especially for its clever advertisements, which appeared on BILLBOARDS (=large signs) next to busy roads. Each billboard contained one sentence from an advertising SLOGAN, and as people drove past them they eventually read the whole slogan.
burn¹ /b3:n b3:rn/ / burnt /b3:nt b3:rnt/ or burned 1 [I] (especially of wood, coal, paper etc) to give out heat, light, and gases: Is the fire still burning? | This type of coal does not burn very easily. | a burning match 2 [I;T] to (cause to) be on fire, especially to destroy or be destroyed by fire: The house is burning - call the fire brigade! | I burnt all his old letters. | The house was burnt to ashes/burnt to the ground. (=completely destroyed by fire) | Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake. (=killed by burning) | fig.) That £100 is burning a hole in his pocket. (=he wants to spend it) 3 [I;T] to (cause to) be hurt or damaged, by fire or heat: I've burnt my hand. | The toast has burnt. | burnt by the sun | You burnt a hole in my skirt with your cigarette. 4 [I] to produce light; shine: a light burning in the window 5 [T] to use for power, heating, or lighting: lamps that burn oil | a coal-burning ship 6 [T] (of a chemical) to damage or destroy; CORRODE: The technician's overalls were burnt by acid. 7 [I] to produce or experience an unpleasant hot feeling: I'm afraid the ointment will burn a bit. | My ears were burning after being out in the cold wind. 8 [I (with) especially in progressive forms] to experience a very strong feeling: burning with anger/desire | [+to-v] She is burning to tell you the news. 9 [+adv/prep] to travel at high speed: We burned up the motorway. | supersonic planes burning through the stratosphere 10 [T] to lose a lot of money, especially in a business deal: A lot of people got burned buying junk bonds. 11 [T] to lose confidence in another person because they have done something to hurt you: He's been burned in his relationships with women before. 12 burn one's boats/bridges infml to destroy all means of going back, so that one must go forward 13 burn one's fingers also get one's fingers burnt — infml to suffer the unpleasant results of a foolish action: George got his fingers badly burnt when the firm went out of business. 14 burn the candle at both ends infml to work or be active from very early until very late; use up all one's strength by trying to do too many different things; get too little rest 15 burn the midnight oil infml to work or study until late at night
USAGE In British English the past tense and past participle burned is used when the verb is intransitive, especially when the action goes on for some time: The fire burned brightly. | The love of freedom burned in their hearts. Burnt is used when the verb is transitive, or as an adjective: I've burnt my hand. | He burnt her letters. | a burnt tree. In American English burned is used both when the verb is intransitive and when it is transitive and burnt is only used as an adjective: burnt toast.
burn away phr v [I;T(= burn sthg. ↔ away)] to destroy or be destroyed by burning; make or become less or nothing as a result of fire: The pile of paper burnt away to nothing.
burn down phr v 1 [I;T(= burn sthg. ↔ down)] to destroy (usually a building) or be destroyed by fire: The building (was) burnt down and only ashes were left. 2 [I] also burn low — (especially of a fire) to flame less brightly or strongly as the coal, wood etc, is used up → compare BURN OUT, BURN UP
burn sthg. ↔ off phr v [T] to destroy by burning: His hair was burnt off. | The farmers are burning off the stubble from the fields.
burn out phr v 1 [T usually pass. (burn sthg. out)] to make hollow by fire: The building was burnt out and only the walls remained. | the burnt-out shell of a building → compare BURN DOWN, BURN UP 2 [I;T(= burn sthg. out)] to stop (itself) burning because there is nothing left to burn: That small fire can be left to burn (itself) out. 3 [I;T(= burn sthg. out)] to (cause to) stop working through damage caused by heat: The engine has/is burnt out. 4 [T(burn sby. out)] to ruin one's health and stop being active through too much work, pressure, alcohol etc: You'll burn yourself out if you work so hard. | a burnt-out poet 5 [I] (of a ROCKET JET etc) to use up all its FUEL and stop operating → see also BURNOUT
burn up phr v 1 [I] to flame more brightly or strongly: Put some more wood on the fire to make it burn up. 2 [I;T(= burn sthg. ↔ up)] to destroy or be destroyed completely by fire or great heat: All the wood has been burnt up. | The rocket burnt up when it re-entered the earth's atmosphere. → compare BURN DOWN, BURN OUT 3 [T(burn sby. ↔ up)] slang to fill (someone's) mind completely; OBSESS: He was burnt up with jealousy. 4 [T(burn sby. ↔ up)] to make angry: The way he treats her really burns me up.
burn² n 1 a hurt place or mark produced (as if) by burning: She was treated for/She suffered severe burns. | rope burns | a burn on the surface of the table | first-degree burns 2 an act of firing the motors of a spacecraft: a short burn
burn³ n especially ScotE a small stream
Burne-Jones, Edward /b3:n 'dʒəʊnz||,b3:rn-/ (1833-98) a British painter who was one of the PRE-RAPHAELITES. He often painted women with pale skin and long red hair. He also worked in TAPESTRY (=heavy cloth with pictures woven into them) and STAINED GLASS.
burn-er /'b3:nə||'b3:r-/ n 1 (often in comb.) a person or thing that burns, especially the part of a cooker, heater etc, that produces flames: a two-burner stove 2 put something on