a. [ L. absurdus harsh-sounding; ab + (prob) a derivative fr. a root svar to sound; not connected with surd: cf. F. absurde. See Syringe. ] Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. [ 1913 Webster ]

This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

'This phrase absurd to call a villain great. Pope. p. 9 [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Foolish; irrational; ridiculous; preposterous; inconsistent; incongruous. -- Absurd, Irrational, Foolish, Preposterous. Of these terms, irrational is the weakest, denoting that which is plainly inconsistent with the dictates of sound reason; as, an irrational course of life. Foolish rises higher, and implies either a perversion of that faculty, or an absolute weakness or fatuity of mind; as, foolish enterprises. Absurd rises still higher, denoting that which is plainly opposed to received notions of propriety and truth; as, an absurd man, project, opinion, story, argument, etc. Preposterous rises still higher, and supposes an absolute inversion in the order of things; or, in plain terms, a “putting of the cart before the horse;” as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An absurdity. [ Obs. ] Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Absurdities [ L. absurditas: cf. F. absurdite. ] 1. The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. “The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction. [ 1913 Webster ]

His travels were full of absurdities. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an absurd manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Absurdity. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. causing sudden intense fear due to an apprehension of imminent bodily harm, to oneself or others. Awakened by a bloodcurdling scream from right outside her window
Syn. -- hair-raising, nightmarish. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. bourde fib, lie, OF. borde, bourde, jest, joke. ] A jest. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To jest. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A jester. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. burdo mule, esp. one used for carrying litters. Cf. Sp. muleta a young she mule; also, crutch, prop. ] A pilgrim's staff. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Burden a refrain. ] (Mus.) (a) A drone bass, as in a bagpipe, or a hurdy-gurdy. See Burden (of a song.) (b) A kind of organ stop. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. bourdelais, prob. fr. bordelais. See Bordelais. ] A sort of grape. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Written also burthen. ] [ OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byrðen; akin to Icel. byrði, Dan. byrde, Sw. börda, G. bürde, OHG. burdi, Goth. baúrþei, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth. bairan. √92. See 1st Bear. ] 1. That which is borne or carried; a load. [ 1913 Webster ]

Plants with goodly burden bowing. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone,
To all my friends a burden grown. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mining) The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Metal.) The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace. Raymond. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A birth. [ Obs. & R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beast of burden, an animal employed in carrying burdens. --
Burden of proof [ L. onus probandi ] (Law), the duty of proving a particular position in a court of law, a failure in the performance of which duty calls for judgment against the party on whom the duty is imposed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Burden, Load. A burden is, in the literal sense, a weight to be borne; a load is something laid upon us to be carried. Hence, when used figuratively, there is usually a difference between the two words. Our burdens may be of such a nature that we feel bound to bear them cheerfully or without complaint. They may arise from the nature of our situation; they may be allotments of Providence; they may be the consequences of our errors. What is upon us, as a load, we commonly carry with greater reluctance or sense of oppression. Men often find the charge of their own families to be a burden; but if to this be added a load of care for others, the pressure is usually serve and irksome. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Burdened p. pr. & vb. n. Burdening ] 1. To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load. [ 1913 Webster ]

I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened. 2 Cor. viii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes. [ 1913 Webster ]

My burdened heart would break. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable). [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It is absurd to burden this act on Cromwell. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To load; encumber; overload; oppress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. burdoun the bass in music, F. bourdon; cf. LL. burdo drone, a long organ pipe, a staff, a mule. Prob. of imitative origin. Cf. Bourdon. ] 1. The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would sing my song without a burden. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The drone of a bagpipe. Ruddiman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Burdon. ] A club. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. bearing a heavy load; as, a hiker burdened with a heavy backpack.
Syn. -- heavy-laden, laden, weighed down. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who loads; an oppressor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Burdensome. [ Obs. ] “Burdenous taxations.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Grievous to be borne; causing uneasiness or fatigue; oppressive. [ 1913 Webster ]

The debt immense of endless gratitude
So burdensome. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Heavy; weighty; cumbersome; onerous; grievous; oppressive; troublesome. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Bur"den*some*ly, adv. -- Bur"den*some*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Bur + dock the plant. ] (Bot.) A genus of coarse biennial herbs (Lappa), bearing small burs which adhere tenaciously to clothes, or to the fur or wool of animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common burdock is the Lappa officinalis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bourdon. ] A pilgrim's staff. [ Written also burden. ] Rom. of R. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. gruth, Ir, gruth, cruth, curd, cruthaim I milk. ] [ Sometimes written crud. ] 1. The coagulated or thickened part of milk, as distinguished from the whey, or watery part. It is eaten as food, especially when made into cheese. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curds and cream, the flower of country fare. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The coagulated part of any liquid. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The edible flower head of certain brassicaceous plants, as the broccoli and cauliflower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Broccoli should be cut while the curd, as the flowering mass is termed, is entire. R. Thompson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cauliflowers should be cut for use while the head, or curd, is still close and compact. F. Burr. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Curded; p. pr. & vb. n. Curding. ] To cause to coagulate or thicken; to cause to congeal; to curdle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Does it curd thy blood
To say I am thy mother? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become coagulated or thickened; to separate into curds and whey Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being curdy. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ From Curd. ] [ Sometimes written crudle and cruddle. ] 1. To change into curd; to coagulate; as, rennet causes milk to curdle. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To thicken; to congeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then Mary could feel her heart's blood curdle cold. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Curdled p. pr. & vb. n. Curdling ] 1. To change into curd; to cause to coagulate. “To curdle whites of eggs” Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To congeal or thicken. [ 1913 Webster ]

My chill blood is curdled in my veins. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of curd. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like curd; full of curd; coagulated. “A curdy mass.” Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To relieve one's self of a burden; to ease the mind. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Burden, v. t. ] [ Cf. Disburthen. ] To rid of a burden; to free from a load borne or from something oppressive; to unload; to disencumber; to relieve. [ 1913 Webster ]

He did it to disburden a conscience. Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

My mediations . . . will, I hope, be more calm, being thus disburdened. Hammond.

Syn. -- To unload; unburden; discharge; free. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. faux bourdon. See False, and Burden a verse. ] 1. (Mus.) (a) A species of counterpoint with a drone bass. (b) A succession of chords of the sixth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A monotonous refrain. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A machine used in making paper; -- so named from an early inventor of improvements in this class of machinery. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Fardel, and cf. Furl. ] To draw up into a bundle; to roll up. [ Ods. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A false die. See Gord.

n. [ F. gourde, OF. cougourde, gouhourde, fr. L. cucurbita gourd (cf. NPr. cougourdo); perh. akin to corbin basket, E. corb. Cf. Cucurbite. ] 1. (Bot.) A fleshy, three-celled, many-seeded fruit, as the melon, pumpkin, cucumber, etc., of the order Cucurbitaceæ; and especially the bottle gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) which occurs in a great variety of forms, and, when the interior part is removed, serves for bottles, dippers, cups, and other dishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dipper or other vessel made from the shell of a gourd; hence, a drinking vessel; a bottle. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bitter gourd, colocynth. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Sp. gordo large. ] A silver dollar; -- so called in Cuba, Haiti, etc. Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Gourdy. ] (Far.) The state of being gourdy. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) A tree (the Crescentia Cujete, or calabash tree) of the West Indies and Central America. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The fluke of sheep. See Fluke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Either fr. gourd, or fr. F. gourd benumbed. ] (Far.) Swelled in the legs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Hurds. ] A coarse kind of linen; -- called also harden. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hurdel, hirdel, AS. hyrdel; akin to D. horde, OHG. hurt, G. hürde a hurdle, fold, pen, Icel. hur&unr_; door, Goth. haúrds, L. cratis wickerwork, hurdle, Gr. &unr_;, Skr. k&unr_;t to spin, c&unr_;t to bind, connect. √16. Cf. Crate, Grate, n. ] 1. A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for inclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In England, a sled or crate on which criminals were formerly drawn to the place of execution. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An artificial barrier, variously constructed, over which men or horses leap in a race. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hurdle race, a race in which artificial barriers in the form of hurdles, fences, etc., must be leaped. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Hurdleed p. pr. & vb. n. Hurdleing ] To hedge, cover, make, or inclose with hurdles. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Work after manner of a hurdle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Hards. ] The coarse part of flax or hemp; hards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. of imitative origin. ] 1. A stringled instrument, lutelike in shape, in which the sound is produced by the friction of a wheel turned by a crank at the end, instead of by a bow, two of the strings being tuned as drones, while two or more, tuned in unison, are modulated by keys. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In California, a water wheel with radial buckets, driven by the impact of a jet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Jurisdiction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. Jordan. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]