8  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Burden  \Bur"den\  (b[^u]"d'n),  n.  [Written  also  burthen.]  [OE. 
  burden,  burthen,  birthen,  birden,  AS  byr[eth]en;  akin  to 
  Icel.  byr[eth]i,  Dan.  byrde,  Sw  b["o]rda,  G.  b["u]rde,  OHG. 
  burdi  Goth.  ba['u]r[thorn]ei,  fr  the  root  of  E.  bear,  AS 
  beran,  Goth.  bairan.  [root]92.  See  1st  {Bear}.] 
  1.  That  which  is  borne  or  carried;  a  load. 
 
  Plants  with  goodly  burden  bowing.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  That  which  is  borne  with  labor  or  difficulty;  that  which 
  is  grievous,  wearisome,  or  oppressive. 
 
  Deaf,  giddy,  helpless,  left  alone,  To  all  my  friends 
  a  burden  grown.  --Swift. 
 
  3.  The  capacity  of  a  vessel,  or  the  weight  of  cargo  that  she 
  will  carry;  as  a  ship  of  a  hundred  tons  burden. 
 
  4.  (Mining)  The  tops  or  heads  of  stream-work  which  lie  over 
  the  stream  of  tin. 
 
  5.  (Metal.)  The  proportion  of  ore  and  flux  to  fuel,  in  the 
  charge  of  a  blast  furnace.  --Raymond. 
 
  6.  A  fixed  quantity  of  certain  commodities;  as  a  burden  of 
  gad  steel,  120  pounds. 
 
  7.  A  birth.  [Obs.  &  R.]  --Shak. 
 
  {Beast  of  burden},  an  animal  employed  in  carrying  burdens. 
 
  {Burden  of  proof}  [L.  onus  probandi]  (Law),  the  duty  of 
  proving  a  particular  position  in  a  court  of  law,  a  failure 
  in  the  performance  of  which  duty  calls  for  judgment 
  against  the  party  on  whom  the  duty  is  imposed. 
 
  Syn:  {Burden},  {Load}. 
 
  Usage:  A  burden  is  in  the  literal  sense  a  weight  to  be 
  borne;  a  load  is  something  laid  upon  us  to  be  carried. 
  Hence  when  used  figuratively,  there  is  usually  a 
  difference  between  the  two  words  Our  burdens  may  be 
  of  such  a  nature  that  we  feel  bound  to  bear  them 
  cheerfully  or  without  complaint.  They  may  arise  from 
  the  nature  of  our  situation;  they  may  be  allotments  of 
  Providence;  they  may  be  the  consequences  of  our 
  errors.  What  is  upon  us  as  a  load,  we  commonly  carry 
  with  greater  reluctance  or  sense  of  oppression.  Men 
  often  find  the  charge  of  their  own  families  to  be  a 
  burden;  but  if  to  this  be  added  a  load  of  care  for 
  others  the  pressure  is  usually  serve  and  irksome. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Burden  \Bur"den\,  n.  [See  {Burdon}.] 
  A  club.  [Obs.]  --Spenser. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Burden  \Bur"den\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Burdened};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Burdening}.] 
  1.  To  encumber  with  weight  (literal  or  figurative);  to  lay  a 
  heavy  load  upon  to  load. 
 
  I  mean  not  that  other  men  be  eased,  and  ye  burdened. 
  --2  Cor.  viii. 
  13. 
 
  2.  To  oppress  with  anything  grievous  or  trying;  to  overload; 
  as  to  burden  a  nation  with  taxes. 
 
  My  burdened  heart  would  break.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  To  impose,  as  a  load  or  burden;  to  lay  or  place  as  a 
  burden  (something  heavy  or  objectionable).  [R.] 
 
  It  is  absurd  to  burden  this  act  on  Cromwell. 
  --Coleridge. 
 
  Syn:  To  load;  encumber;  overload;  oppress. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Burden  \Bur"den\  (b[^u]r"d'n),  n.  [OE.  burdoun  the  bass  in 
  music,  F.  bourdon;  cf  LL  burdo  drone,  a  long  organ  pipe,  a 
  staff,  a  mule.  Prob.  of  imitative  origin.  Cf  {Bourdon}.] 
  1.  The  verse  repeated  in  a  song,  or  the  return  of  the  theme 
  at  the  end  of  each  stanza;  the  chorus;  refrain.  Hence: 
  That  which  is  often  repeated  or  which  is  dwelt  upon  the 
  main  topic;  as  the  burden  of  a  prayer. 
 
  I  would  sing  my  song  without  a  burden.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  The  drone  of  a  bagpipe.  --Ruddiman. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Burdon  \Bur"don\,  n.  [See  {Bourdon}.] 
  A  pilgrim's  staff.  [Written  also  {burden}.]  --Rom.  of  R. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  burden 
  n  1:  an  onerous  or  difficult  concern;  "the  burden  of 
  responsibility";  "that's  a  load  off  my  mind"  [syn:  {load}, 
  {encumbrance},  {incumbrance},  {onus}] 
  2:  something  to  be  borne  or  conveyed  [syn:  {load},  {loading}] 
  3:  the  central  meaning  or  theme  of  a  speech  or  literary  work 
  [syn:  {effect},  {essence},  {core},  {gist}] 
  4:  the  central  idea  that  is  expanded  in  a  document  or  discourse 
  v  1:  weight  down  with  a  load  [syn:  {burthen},  {weight},  {weight 
  down}]  [ant:  {unburden}] 
  2:  impose  a  task  upon  assign  a  responsibility  to  "He  charged 
  her  with  cleaning  up  all  the  files  over  the  weekend"  [syn: 
  {charge},  {saddle}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Burden,  KS  (city,  FIPS  9250) 
  Location:  37.31314  N,  96.75503  W 
  Population  (1990):  518  (221  housing  units) 
  Area:  1.3  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  67019 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Burden 
  (1.)  A  load  of  any  kind  (Ex.  23:5).  (2.)  A  severe  task  (Ex. 
  2:11).  (3.)  A  difficult  duty,  requiring  effort  (Ex.  18:22).  (4.) 
  A  prophecy  of  a  calamitous  or  disastrous  nature  (Isa.  13:1; 
  17:1;  Hab.  1:1,  etc.). 
 

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