borough

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bor=ough

CIDE DICTIONARY

borough, n. [OE. burgh, burw, boru, port, town, burrow, AS. burh, burg; akin to Icel., Sw., & Dan. borg, OS. & D. burg, OHG. puruc, purc, MHG. burc, G. burg, Goth. baúrgs; and from the root of AS. beorgan to hide, save, defend, G. bergen; or perh. from that of AS. beorg hill, mountain. Bury, v. t., and cf. Burrow, Burg, Bury, n., Burgess, Iceberg, Borrow, Harbor, Hauberk.].

•  In England, an incorporated town that is not a city; also, a town that sends members to parliament; in Scotland, a body corporate, consisting of the inhabitants of a certain district, erected by the sovereign, with a certain jurisdiction; in America, an incorporated town or village, as in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.  Burrill. Erskine.  [1913 Webster]
•  The collective body of citizens or inhabitants of a borough; as, the borough voted to lay a tax.  [1913 Webster]

Close borough, or Pocket borough, a borough having the right of sending a member to Parliament, whose nomination is in the hands of a single person. -- Rotten borough, a name given to any borough which, at the time of the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, contained but few voters, yet retained the privilege of sending a member to Parliament.

borough, n. [See Borrow.].

 An association of men who gave pledges or sureties to the king for the good behavior of each other.  Blackstone. Tomlins.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

borough, n.
1 Brit. a a town represented in the House of Commons. b a town or district granted the status of a borough.
2 Brit. hist. a town with a municipal corporation and privileges conferred by a royal charter.
3 US a municipal corporation in certain States.
4 US each of five divisions of New York City.
5 US (in Alaska) a county.

Etymology

OE burg, burh f. Gmc: cf. BURGH

THESAURUS

borough

Kreis, Stadt, archbishopric, archdiocese, arrondissement, bailiwick, banlieue, bishopric, boom town, bourg, burg, burgh, canton, city, close borough, commune, congressional district, constablewick, conurbation, county, departement, diocese, district, duchy, election district, electoral district, electorate, exurb, exurbia, faubourg, gerrymander, gerrymandered district, ghost town, government, greater city, hamlet, hundred, magistracy, market town, megalopolis, metropolis, metropolitan area, municipality, oblast, okrug, outskirts, parish, pocket borough, polis, precinct, principality, province, region, riding, rotten borough, safe district, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shire, shrievalty, silk-stocking district, single-member district, soke, spread city, stake, state, suburb, suburbia, swing district, territory, town, township, urban complex, urban sprawl, urbs, village, ville, wapentake, ward

ROGET THESAURUS

borough

Abode

N abode, dwelling, lodging, domicile, residence, apartment, place, digs, pad, address, habitation, where one's lot is cast, local habitation, berth, diggings, seat, lap, sojourn, housing, quarters, headquarters, resiance, tabernacle, throne, ark, home, fatherland, country, homestead, homestall, fireside, hearth, hearth stone, chimney corner, inglenook, ingle side, harem, seraglio, zenana, household gods, lares et penates, roof, household, housing, dulce domum, paternal domicile, native soil, native land, habitat, range, stamping ground, haunt, hangout, biosphere, environment, ecological niche, nest, nidus, snuggery, arbor, bower, lair, den, cave, hole, hiding place, cell, sanctum sanctorum, aerie, eyrie, eyry, rookery, hive, covert, resort, retreat, perch, roost, nidification, kala jagah, bivouac, camp, encampment, cantonment, castrametation, barrack, casemate, casern, tent, building, chamber, xenodochium, tenement, messuage, farm, farmhouse, grange, hacienda, toft, cot, cabin, hut, chalet, croft, shed, booth, stall, hovel, bothy, shanty, dugout, wigwam, pen, barn, bawn, kennel, sty, doghold, cote, coop, hutch, byre, cow house, cow shed, stable, dovecote, columbary, columbarium, shippen, igloo, iglu, jacal, lacustrine dwelling, lacuslake dwelling, lacuspile dwelling, log cabin, log house, shack, shebang, tepee, topek, house, mansion, place, villa, cottage, box, lodge, hermitage, rus in urbe, folly, rotunda, tower, chateau, castle, pavilion, hotel, court, manor-house, capital messuage, hall, palace, kiosk, bungalow, casa, country seat, apartment house, flat house, frame house, shingle house, tenement house, temple, hamlet, village, thorp, dorp, ham, kraal, borough, burgh, town, city, capital, metropolis, suburb, province, country, county town, county seat, courthouse, ghetto, street, place, terrace, parade, esplanade, alameda, board walk, embankment, road, row, lane, alley, court, quadrangle, quad, wynd, close, yard, passage, rents, buildings, mews, square, polygon, circus, crescent, mall, piazza, arcade, colonnade, peristyle, cloister, gardens, grove, residences, block of buildings, market place, place, plaza, anchorage, roadstead, roads, dock, basin, wharf, quay, port, harbor, quarter, parish, assembly room, meetinghouse, pump room, spa, watering place, inn, hostel, hostelry, hotel, tavern, caravansary, dak bungalow, khan, hospice, public house, pub, pot house, mug house, gin mill, gin palace, bar, bar room, barrel house, cabaret, chophouse, club, clubhouse, cookshop, dive, exchange, grill room, saloon, shebeen, coffee house, eating house, canteen, restaurant, buffet, cafe, estaminet, posada, almshouse, poorhouse, townhouse, garden, park, pleasure ground, plaisance, demesne, cage, terrarium, doghouse, pen, aviary, barn, stall, zoo, urban, metropolitan, suburban, provincial, rural, rustic, domestic, cosmopolitan, palatial, eigner Hert ist goldes Werth, even cities have their graves, ubi libertas ibi patria, home sweet home.