[bur.den] n [ME, fr. OE byrthen; akin to OE beran to carry--more at bear] (bef. 12c) 1 a: something that is carried: load b: duty, responsibility
2: something oppressive or worrisome 3 a: the bearing of a load--usu. used in the phrase beast of burden b: capacity for carrying cargo "a ship of a hundred tons ~"
4: the amount of a deleterious parasite, growth, or substance present in a human or animal body "worm ~" "cancer ~"
[2]burden vt bur.dened ; bur.den.ing (1541): load, oppress "I will not ~ you with a lengthy account" [3]burden n [ME burdoun, fr. MF bourdon a drone bass, of imit. origin] (14c) 1 archaic: a bass or accompanying part
2. a: chorus, refrain b: a central topic: theme