Meaning & use
burrow
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Meanings
nouncountable
A hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal for shelter.
Grammar: Countable: a burrow, the burrow, burrows.
Patterns
- a burrow
- in a burrow
- dig a burrow
The rabbit disappeared into its burrow.
Badgers live in a network of underground burrows.
verbintransitive
To dig a hole or tunnel in the ground.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'into' or 'under'.
Patterns
- burrow into something
- burrow under something
- burrow through something
The mole burrowed into the soft earth.
The rabbit burrowed under the fence to escape.
verbintransitive
To press closely into something soft or to nestle deeply.
Grammar: Often followed by 'into' or 'under'.
Patterns
- burrow into something
- burrow under something
She burrowed into the warm blankets.
He burrowed his face into the pillow.
Word forms
| plural | burrows |
|---|---|
| third person singular | burrows |
| past tense | burrowed |
| past participle | burrowed |
| -ing form | burrowing |
Common combinations
- dig a burrow
- The rabbit dug a burrow in the garden.
- in a burrow
- The fox sleeps in its burrow during the day.
- burrow into
- The mole burrowed into the ground.
- burrow under
- The dog burrowed under the covers.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- burrowing adjective
- Used to describe animals that dig burrows, e.g., burrowing owl.
Commonly confused: burrow or borough?
burrow vs borough
Borough is a town or district; burrow is a hole dug by an animal.
Practice
The rabbit hid in its ______ when it heard a noise.
Choose one answer.
Burrow is the hole or tunnel an animal digs for shelter. Borrow means to take something temporarily, bluff means to deceive, and tunnel is a more general word but not the specific animal home.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “burrow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.