burr

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a rough or prickly seed case, husk, or flower head that clings to fur or clothing

   A chestnut burr split open to reveal three glossy nuts.

2. 2
   noun

   a rough edge or ridge left on metal, wood, or another material after cutting or drilling

   The machinist filed the sharp burr from the drilled hole.

3. 3
   noun

   a small rotary cutting tool used in machining, dentistry, or surgery

   The dentist selected a fine burr to shape the filling.

4. 4
   verb

   to form a rough edge or to remove material with a burr

   Careless drilling can burr the edge of the thin sheet.

From Middle English burre, 'a prickly seed head or rough projection,' probably related to Germanic words for a bristle. The spelling bur remains an accepted variant, especially for the botanical and tool senses. The shared idea is a small rough, projecting, or cutting part.

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