burden: Meaning and Definition of

bur•den

Pronunciation: (bûr'dn), [key]
— n.
  1. that which is carried; load: a horse's burden of rider and pack.
  2. that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus: the burden of leadership.
    1. the weight of a ship's cargo.
    2. the carrying capacity of a ship.
  3. overburden (def. 3).
  4. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.
  5. overhead (def. 6).
—v.t.
  1. to load heavily.
  2. to load oppressively; trouble.

bur•den

Pronunciation: (bûr'dn), [key]
— n.
  1. the main point, message, or idea.
  2. the refrain or recurring chorus of a song.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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