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 burrow on Wikipedia



Origin Unknown. Formally, it appears to be a variant of borough and thus from Old English burh, from Proto-Germanic *burgz(stronghold, city) from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ-([fortified] elevation), but this sense is not known in Old English burh or in any Germanic cognate languages.
It may be related to bergh and bury ("to dig"), in which case it would be derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ-(to protect, defend, save, preserve).



burrow (plural burrows)

  1. A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.
    • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
  2. (mining) A heap or heaps of rubbish or refuse.
  3. Obsolete form of barrow. A mound.
  4. Obsolete form of borough. An incorporated town.




burrow (third-person singular simple present burrows, present participle burrowing, simple past and past participle burrowed)

  1. To dig a tunnel or hole.