Meaning & use
Burnett
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Meanings
proper nounproper
A family name of English and Scottish origin, thought to come from an old word for a person with brown hair or a brown complexion.
Grammar: Used as a surname with a first name or a title: Mrs. Burnett, Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote the children's novel The Secret Garden.
Mr. Burnett will be in the office after lunch.
The comedian Carol Burnett hosted a popular television show for many years.
proper nounproper
A place name, as in Burnett County in Wisconsin or the Burnett River in Queensland.
Grammar: Used as the first part of a place name: the Burnett River.
The Burnett River flows to the sea near Bundaberg.
We camped in Burnett County, Wisconsin, last summer.
Common combinations
- Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Frances Hodgson Burnett also wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy.
- Carol Burnett
- Carol Burnett was known for her comic sketches.
- Burnett River
- Farms line the banks of the Burnett River.
- Burnett County
- Burnett County has many lakes and forests.
Word family
- Burnet proper noun
- a variant spelling of the surname
- Burnette proper noun
- another variant spelling of the surname
- Brunet proper noun
- a related French surname meaning dark-haired
Commonly confused: Burnett or burnet?
Burnett vs burnet
Burnet, with one t, is also a common word for a plant of the rose family with small red flowers, besides being a surname.
Practice
Which author, whose surname is Burnett, wrote the children's book The Secret Garden?
Choose one answer.
Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote The Secret Garden. The other authors are real children's writers but wrote different books.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Burnett”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.