burden 1
— burdener , n. — burdenless , adj.
/berr"dn/ , 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.
3. Naut.
a. the weight of a ship's cargo.
b. the carrying capacity of a ship.
4. Mining. overburden (def. 3).
5. Metall. the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.
6. Accounting. overhead (def. 6).
v.t.
7. to load heavily.
8. to load oppressively; trouble.
[ bef. 1000; ME, var. of burthen, OE byrthen; akin to G Bürde, Goth baurthei; see BEAR 1 ]
Syn. 1. See load. 2. weight, encumbrance, impediment. 8. weigh down, saddle, try, afflict, perturb, plague, grieve, vex.
burden 2
/berr"dn/ , n.
1. the main point, message, or idea.
2. Music. the refrain or recurring chorus of a song.
[ 1275-1325; ME bordoun, burdoun bourdon droning sound, instrument making such a sound ]
Syn. 1. substance, core, crux, nucleus, essence.