Added 9 October 2026
burrow
/ˈbʌɹəʊ/ noun
In Latin: hola Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about burrow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
verb
- To dig a tunnel or hole.
-
To move underneath or press up against in search of safety or comfort.
The young girl burrowed into the bed.
-
To investigate thoroughly.
The journalist burrowed into the origins of the mayor's corruption.
Origin
From Middle English borowe, borewe, borwȝ, burȝe, burh, burye (“refuge for an animal, lair, burrow”), apparently a variant of Middle English burgh (“fortified dwelling, stronghold, refuge”) (see borough) and thus from Old English burh, from Proto-West Germanic *burg, from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold, city”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“high”), but this sense is not known in Old English burh. Compare, however, Dutch cognate burcht, which has a similar sense. It may be related to bury (“to dig”), in which case it would be derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect, defend, save, preserve”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)