burr /bɜː $ bɜːr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1,4: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language ]
[ Sense 2-3: Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: Probably from the sound. ]
1 . ( also bur ) the seed container of some plants, covered with sharp points that make it stick to things
2 . British English a way of pronouncing English with a strong ‘r’ sound
3 . a fairly quiet regular sound like something turning quickly SYN whirr :
the burr of a motor
4 . a rough spot on a piece of metal