/ bɜː(r); NAmE / noun
1.
[ usually sing. ] a strong pronunciation of the 'r' sound, typical of some accents in English; an accent with this type of pronunciation :
She speaks with a soft West Country burr.
2.
[ usually sing. ] the soft regular noise made by parts of a machine moving quickly
SYN whirr
3.
(also bur ) the seed container of some plants which is covered in very small hooks that stick to clothes or fur
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in sense 3): probably of Scandinavian origin and related to Danish burre burr, burdock, Swedish kard-borre burdock.