burl

burl  (bûrl)

n.

1. A knot, lump, or slub in yarn or cloth.

2.

a. A large rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree.

b. The wood cut from such an outgrowth, often used decoratively as a veneer.

tr.v. burled, burl·ing, burls

To dress or finish (cloth) by removing knots, lumps, slubs, or loose threads.

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[Middle English burle, from Old French bourle, tuft of wool, diminutive of bourre, coarse wool, from Late Latin burra, shaggy garment.]

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burler n.

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burl¹

n

1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) a small knot or lump in wool

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) a roundish warty outgrowth from the trunk, roots, or branches of certain trees

vb

(Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) (tr) to remove the burls from (cloth)

[from Old French burle tuft of wool, probably ultimately from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth]

burler  n

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burl², birl [bɜːl]

n Informal

1. Scot, Austral, and NZ an attempt; try (esp in the phrase give it a burl)

2. Austral and NZ a ride in a car

[perhaps from birl¹ in the Scot sense: a twist or turn]

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burl  (bûrl) A large, rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree. Burls develop from one or more twig buds whose cells continue to multiply but never differentiate so that the twig can elongate into a limb. Burls do not usually cause harm to trees.

burl

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	burl - the wood cut from a tree burl or outgrowth; often used decoratively in veneer burl - a large rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree wood - the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
	2.	burl - a large rounded outgrowth on the trunk or branch of a tree plant process, enation - a natural projection or outgrowth from a plant body or organ tree - a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms burl - the wood cut from a tree burl or outgrowth; often used decoratively in veneer
	3.	burl - soft lump or unevenness in a yarn; either an imperfection or created by design slub, knot raggedness, roughness - a texture of a surface or edge that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven
Verb	1.	burl - remove the burls from cloth remove, take away, withdraw, take - remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract; "remove a threat"; "remove a wrapper"; "Remove the dirty dishes from the table"; "take the gun from your pocket"; "This machine withdraws heat from the environment"