burden en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /bʌɾdn̩/ (Scotland)
- /bɛːdn̩/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
- (US) audio
- /ˈbɜːdn̩/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
- /beːdn̩/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger
- /ˈbɝdn̩/ (General-American)
- /bøːdn̩/ (New-Zealand)
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English birthene, birthen, birden, from Old English byrden, byrþen, from Proto-West Germanic *burþini, from *burþī, from Proto-Germanic *burþį̄, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”).
Meanings
-
A heavy load.
There were four or five men in the vault already, and I could hear more coming down the passage, and guessed from their heavy footsteps that they were carrying burdens.
[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:I know that this was Life,—the track Whereon with equal feet we fared; And then, as now, the day prepared The daily burden for the back.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 42:
- A responsibility, onus.
-
A cause of worry; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
c. 1710-1730, Jonathan Swift, The Dean's Complaint Translated and Answered Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone, / To all my friends a burden grown.
-
The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry.
"[…] The quay is upwards of 1,000 feet in length, and capable of accommodating more than 100 sail of traders; and there are generally a considerable number of vessels of from 40 to 300 tons burden, from various parts of the world, waiting to receive their cargoes."
1945 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Penrhyn Railway and its Locomotives—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 142, text published 1848:a ship of a hundred tons burden
- The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
- The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.
-
A fixed quantity of certain commodities.
A burden of gad steel is 120 pounds.
-
(obsolete, rare) A birth.
… that bore thee at a burden two fair sons.
- The total amount of toxins, parasites, cancer cells, plaque or similar present in an organism.
- (qualifier:blasting) The distance between rows of blastholes parallel to the major free face (i.e. face of the excavation)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| burdens | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| burthen | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |
Translations (220)
uk ванта́ж (heavy load) · kmr bar (responsibility, onus) · zlw-ocs břiemě (heavy load) · mk бреме (heavy load) · rup sartsinã (responsibility, onus) · uk тяга́р (responsibility, onus) · nn byrde (responsibility, onus) · de Last (responsibility, onus) · cmn 負荷 /负荷 (heavy load) · nb byrde (responsibility, onus) · sh то̀вар (heavy load) · th ภาระ (responsibility, onus) · ro povară (heavy load) · ga muirear (responsibility, onus) · da belastning (responsibility, onus) · de Belastung (responsibility, onus) · ko 짐 (heavy load) · tl pasanin (cause of worry) · pl brzemię (cause of worry) · ko 짐 (responsibility, onus) · cs zatížení (heavy load) · hy բեռ (heavy load) · pt responsabilidade (responsibility, onus) · fo byrði (heavy load) · bg бре́ме (responsibility, onus) · grc ἄχθος (heavy load) · kmr berpirsiyarî (responsibility, onus) · ru но́ша (heavy load) · pt carga (heavy load) · fo byrða (heavy load) · ro sarcină (responsibility, onus) · grc φόρημα (heavy load) · is byrði (heavy load) · fr charge (heavy load) · tr yük (heavy load) · hu teher (heavy load) · zza selag (heavy load) · cs břemeno (responsibility, onus) · da læs (heavy load) · kk зіл (heavy load) · pt obrigação (responsibility, onus) · de Belastung (heavy load) · ro sarcină (heavy load) · as বোজা (heavy load) · kmr bar (heavy load) · sw mzigo (heavy load) · bg бреме (cause of worry) · ar حِمْل (heavy load) · gsw Burdi (heavy load) · de Bürde (heavy load) · ang byrþen (heavy load) · cs náklad (heavy load) · la onus (heavy load) · de Last (heavy load) · kmr bar (cause of worry) · enm birthene (heavy load) · uk но́ша (heavy load) · la onus (responsibility, onus) · tr yükümlülük (responsibility, onus) · it onere (responsibility, onus) · be цяжа́р (responsibility, onus) · ru нагру́зка (responsibility, onus) · th ความรับผิดชอบ (responsibility, onus) · uk вагота́ (responsibility, onus) · he נֵטֶל (heavy load) · pl ciężar (heavy load) · orv беремѧ (responsibility, onus) · enm birthene (cause of worry) · es lastre (responsibility, onus) · sh tòvar (heavy load) · rup var (heavy load) · sv belastning (heavy load) · pt fardo (heavy load) · fi riippa (responsibility, onus) · sh бре̏ме (responsibility, onus) · kmr berpirsiyarî (heavy load) · nb belastning (heavy load) · hy բեռ (cause of worry) · ckb بەڵا (cause of worry) · pl brzemię (responsibility, onus) · de Bürde (responsibility, onus) · grc βάρημα (heavy load) · cu брѣмѧ (responsibility, onus) · ug سېلىق (heavy load) · sq barr (heavy load) · da byrde (responsibility, onus) · sa भार (heavy load) · ru покла́жа (heavy load) · ja 積み荷 (heavy load) · kk жүк (heavy load) · ca càrrega (heavy load) · da byrde (heavy load) · nl last (heavy load) · rup griutati (heavy load) · sh brȅme (heavy load) · it responsabilità (responsibility, onus) · oc carga (heavy load) · tg бор (heavy load) · fr fardeau (cause of worry) · be цяжа́р (heavy load) · cmn 負擔 /负担 (responsibility, onus) · gl mostea (heavy load) · gl bruada (heavy load) · fa بار (heavy load) · ru тя́жесть (responsibility, onus) · es pejiguera (responsibility, onus) · ms beban (heavy load) · izh koorma (heavy load) · got 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐌴𐌹 (heavy load) · ru кладь (heavy load) · de Last (cause of worry) · vi gánh nặng (responsibility, onus) · ko 짐 (cause of worry) · sv belastning (cause of worry) · fo burður (responsibility, onus) · ota اصر (responsibility, onus) · bg това́р (heavy load) · de Kummer (cause of worry) · fi vastuu (responsibility, onus) · ru груз (heavy load) · nn belastning (heavy load) · ru бре́мя (cause of worry) · cs břemeno (heavy load) · ckb بار (responsibility, onus) · no ansvar (responsibility, onus) · gl carga (cause of worry) · cs zátěž (heavy load) · ru бре́мя (heavy load) · sh бре̏ме (heavy load) · mi wahanga (heavy load) · rup sartsinã (heavy load) · is byrði (responsibility, onus) · de Verantwortung (responsibility, onus) · la sarcina (heavy load) · pt preocupação (cause of worry) · sh брје̏ме (responsibility, onus) · sv börda (heavy load) · nn byrde (heavy load) · bg те́жест (responsibility, onus) · sk bremeno (heavy load) · ar حِمْل (responsibility, onus) · be но́ша (heavy load) · ko 바리 (heavy load) · be бярэ́мя (heavy load) · tr zahmet (responsibility, onus) · uk тя́жкість (responsibility, onus) · enm birthene (responsibility, onus) · ja 心配事 (cause of worry) · tl pasanin (responsibility, onus) · sl breme (responsibility, onus) · ro răspundere (responsibility, onus) · sh brȅme (responsibility, onus) · pl ciężar (cause of worry) · sv plikt (responsibility, onus) · sh брје̏ме (heavy load) · uk ва́жкість (responsibility, onus) · gl cárrega (heavy load) · ko 부담 (responsibility, onus) · es carga (responsibility, onus) · uk тяга́р (heavy load) · ug تاپ (heavy load) · sh brjȅme (responsibility, onus) · sv börda (cause of worry) · ru бре́мя (responsibility, onus) · ga muirear (heavy load) · fr fardeau (responsibility, onus) · rup furtii (heavy load) · zza bar (diq) (heavy load) · fo burður (heavy load) · he נֵטֶל (responsibility, onus) · rup greatsã (heavy load) · tr sorumluluk (responsibility, onus) · txb perpette (heavy load) · pl brzemię (heavy load) · gl carga (responsibility, onus) · eo ŝarĝo (heavy load) · it fardello (cause of worry) · arz حمل (heavy load) · fi kuorma (heavy load) · no belastning (cause of worry) · hy բեռ (responsibility, onus) · fi taakka (heavy load) · ca carga (heavy load) · is burður (heavy load) · be бярэ́мя (responsibility, onus) · izh taakka (heavy load) · sl tovor (heavy load) · nb byrde (heavy load) · es rémora (responsibility, onus) · be груз (heavy load) · sh brjȅme (heavy load) · da last (responsibility, onus) · sk záťaž (heavy load) · ru обу́за (cause of worry) · sk bremeno (responsibility, onus) · mr ओझे (heavy load) · ug دەردىسەر (heavy load) · fr fardeau (heavy load) · he עֹל (responsibility, onus) · ckb بار گرانی (heavy load) · it carico (heavy load) · it preoccupazione (cause of worry) · cs břímě (responsibility, onus) · zza bar dayen (responsibility, onus) · izh pörömä (heavy load) · de Sorge (cause of worry) · mk товар (heavy load) · gl farda (heavy load) · de Bürde (cause of worry) · ja 負担 (responsibility, onus) · ar عِبْء (heavy load) · hu teher (responsibility, onus) · ar عِبْء (responsibility, onus) · it fardello (heavy load) · tl dinadalang mabigat (heavy load) · sk náklad (heavy load) · mk бреме (responsibility, onus) · he עֹל (heavy load) · gl carga (heavy load) · zza zahmet (responsibility, onus)