burthen
UK /ˈbɜːðn̩/ · US /ˈbɝðn̩/ noun
Also a form of burden
Forms burthens burthening burthened
- noun (obsolete or historical, nautical) The tonnage of a ship based on the number of tuns of wine that it could carry in its holds.
- noun Rarely used musical tempo, meaning slow and ponderous (e.g., moving under a burden); similar to largo.
- noun A section of music with the tempo mark burthen.
Synonyms
Etymology
Old form of burden. Compare similar development in murder.
Webster’s 1913
- noun See Burden. [Archaic]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “burthen”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details