bureau

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bu=reau

CIDE DICTIONARY

bureau, n. [F. bureau a writing table, desk, office, OF., drugget, with which a writing table was often covered, equiv. to F. bure, and fr. OF. buire dark brown, the stuff being named from its color, fr. L. burrus red, fr. Gr. flame-colored, prob. fr. fire. See Fire, n., and cf. Borel, n.].

•  Originally, a desk or writing table with drawers for papers.  Swift.  [1913 Webster]
•  The place where such a bureau is used; an office where business requiring writing is transacted.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence: A department of public business requiring a force of clerks; the body of officials in a department who labor under the direction of a chief.  [1913 Webster]

  " On the continent of Europe, the highest departments, in most countries, have the name of bureaux; as, the Bureau of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In England and America, the term is confined to inferior and subordinate departments; as, the “Pension Bureau,” a subdepartment of the Department of the Interior. [Obs.] In Spanish, bureo denotes a court of justice for the trial of persons belonging to the king's household."  [1913 Webster]
•  A chest of drawers for clothes, especially when made as an ornamental piece of furniture.  [1913 Webster]

Bureau system. See Bureaucracy. -- Bureau Veritas, an institution, in the interest of maritime underwriters, for the survey and rating of vessels all over the world. It was founded in Belgium in 1828, removed to Paris in 1830, and reëstablished in Brussels in 1870.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bureau, n. (pl. bureaux or bureaus)
1 a Brit. a writing-desk with drawers and usu. an angled top opening downwards to form a writing surface. b US a chest of drawers.
2 a an office or department for transacting specific business. b a government department.

Etymology

F, = desk, orig. its baize covering, f. OF burel f. bure, buire dark brown ult. f. Gk purros red

THESAURUS

bureau

agency, bailiwick, chest, chest of drawers, chiffonier, commissariat, constablery, constablewick, constabulary, department, desk, division, dresser, ministry, municipality, office, secretariat, section, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shrievalty, subdivision

ROGET THESAURUS

bureau

Mart

N mart, market, marketplace, fair, bazaar, staple, exchange, change, bourse, hall, guildhall, tollbooth, customhouse, Tattersall's, stall, booth, stand, newsstand, cart, wagon, wharf, office, chambers, countinghouse, bureau, counter, compter, shop, emporium, establishment, store, department store, general store, five and ten, variety store, co-op, finding store, grindery warehouse, grocery, supermarket, candy store, sweet shop, confectionery, bakery, greengrocer, delicatessen, bakeshop, butcher shop, fish store, farmers' market, mom and pop store, dairy, health food store, tobacco shop, tobacco store, tobacconists, cigar store, hardware store, jewelry shop, bookstore, liquor store, gun shop, rod and reel shop, furniture store, drugstore, chemist's, florist, flower shop, shoe store, stationer, stationer's, electronics shop, telephone store, music store, record shop, fur store, sporting goods store, video store, video rental store, lumber store, lumber yard, home improvements store, home improvement center, gas station, auto repair shop, auto dealer, used car dealer, mall, suburban mall, commons, pedestrian mall, shopping street, surplus store, army-navy surplus store, auction, flea market, yard sale, garage sale, pawn shop, antiques store, second-hand store, second time around shop, thrift shop, warehouse, wareroom, depot, interposit, entrepot, market-overt, real-estate broker, vending machine.

Jurisdiction

N jurisdiction, judicature, administration of justice, soc, executive, commission of the peace, magistracy, judge, tribunal, municipality, corporation, bailiwick, shrievalty, lord lieutenant, sheriff, shire reeve, shrieve, constable, selectman, police, police force, the fuzz, constabulary, bumbledom, gendarmerie, officer, bailiff, tipstaff, bum-bailiff, catchpoll, beadle, policeman, cop, police constable, police sergeant, sbirro, alguazil, gendarme, kavass, lictor, mace bearer, huissier, bedel, tithingman, press gang, exciseman, gauger, gager, customhouse officer, douanier, coroner, edile, aedile, portreeve, paritor, posse comitatus, bureau, cutcherry, department, secretariat, long arm of the law, extradition, executive, administrative, municipal, inquisitorial, causidical, judicatory, judiciary, judicial, juridical, coram judice.

Tribunal

N tribunal, court, board, bench, judicatory, court of justice, court of law, court of arbitration, administrative court, inquisition, guild, justice seat, judgment seat, mercy seat, woolsack, bar of justice, dock, forum, hustings, bureau, drumhead, jury box, witness box, senate house, town hall, theater, House of Commons, House of Lords, statehouse, townhouse, assize, eyre, wardmote, burghmote, barmote, superior courts of Westminster, court of record, court oyer and terminer, court assize, court of appeal, court of error, High court of Judicature, High court of Appeal, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Star Chamber, Court of Chancery, Court of King's or Queen's Bench, Court of Exchequer, Court of Common Pleas, Court of Probate, Court of Arches, Court of Admiralty, Lords Justices' court, Rolls court, Vice Chancellor's court, Stannary court, Divorce court, Family court, Palatine court, county court, district court, police court, sessions, quarter sessions, petty sessions, court-leet, court-baron, court of pie poudre, court of common council, board of green cloth, court martial, drumhead court martial, durbar, divan, Areopagus, Irota, judicial, appellate, die Weltgeschichte ist das Weltgericht.

Receptacle

N receptacle, inclosure, recipient, receiver, reservatory, compartment, cell, cellule, follicle, hole, corner, niche, recess, nook, crypt, stall, pigeonhole, cove, oriel, cave, capsule, vesicle, cyst, pod, calyx, cancelli, utricle, bladder, pericarp, udder, stomach, paunch, venter, ventricle, crop, craw, maw, gizzard, breadbasket, mouth, pocket, pouch, fob, sheath, scabbard, socket, bag, sac, sack, saccule, wallet, cardcase, scrip, poke, knit, knapsack, haversack, sachel, satchel, reticule, budget, net, ditty bag, ditty box, housewife, hussif, saddlebags, portfolio, quiver, chest, box, coffer, caddy, case, casket, pyx, pix, caisson, desk, bureau, reliquary, trunk, portmanteau, band-box, valise, grip, grip sack, skippet, vasculum, boot, imperial, vache, cage, manger, rack, vessel, vase, bushel, barrel, canister, jar, pottle, basket, pannier, buck-basket, hopper, maund, creel, cran, crate, cradle, bassinet, wisket, whisket, jardiniere, corbeille, hamper, dosser, dorser, tray, hod, scuttle, utensil, brazier, cuspidor, spittoon, cistern, vat, caldron, barrel, cask, drum, puncheon, keg, rundlet, tun, butt, cag, firkin, kilderkin, carboy, amphora, bottle, jar, decanter, ewer, cruse, caraffe, crock, kit, canteen, flagon, demijohn, flask, flasket, stoup, noggin, vial, phial, cruet, caster, urn, epergne, salver, patella, tazza, patera, pig gin, big gin, tyg, nipperkin, pocket pistol, tub, bucket, pail, skeel, pot, tankard, jug, pitcher, mug, pipkin, galipot, gallipot, matrass, receiver, retort, alembic, bolthead, capsule, can, kettle, bowl, basin, jorum, punch bowl, cup, goblet, chalice, tumbler, glass, rummer, horn, saucepan, skillet, posnet, tureen, beaker, flask, Erlenmeyer flask, Florence flask, round-bottom flask, graduated cylinder, test tube, culture tube, pipette, Pasteur pipette, disposable pipette, syringe, vial, carboy, vacuum flask, Petri dish, microtiter tray, centrifuge tube, bail, beaker, billy, canakin, catch basin, catch drain, chatti, lota, mussuk, schooner, spider, terrine, toby, urceus, plate, platter, dish, trencher, calabash, porringer, potager, saucer, pan, crucible, glassware, tableware, vitrics, compote, gravy boat, creamer, sugar bowl, butter dish, mug, pitcher, punch bowl, chafing dish, shovel, trowel, spoon, spatula, ladle, dipper, tablespoon, watch glass, thimble, closet, commode, cupboard, cellaret, chiffonniere, locker, bin, bunker, buffet, press, clothespress, safe, sideboard, drawer, chest of drawers, chest on chest, highboy, lowboy, till, scrutoire, secretary, secretaire, davenport, bookcase, cabinet, canterbury, escritoire, etagere, vargueno, vitrine, chamber, apartment, room, cabin, office, court, hall, atrium, suite of rooms, apartment, flat, story, saloon, salon, parlor, by-room, cubicle, presence chamber, sitting room, best room, keeping room, drawing room, reception room, state room, gallery, cabinet, closet, pew, box, boudoir, adytum, sanctum, bedroom, dormitory, refectory, dining room, salle-a-manger, nursery, schoolroom, library, study, studio, billiard room, smoking room, den, stateroom, tablinum, tenement, bath room, bathroom, toilet, lavatory, powder room, john, jakes, necessary, loo, men's room, ladies' room, rest room, (uncleanness), 653 attic, loft, garret, cockloft, clerestory, cellar, vault, hold, cockpit, cubbyhole, cook house, entre-sol, mezzanine floor, ground floor, rez-de-chaussee, basement, kitchen, pantry, bawarchi-khana, scullery, offices, storeroom, lumber room, dairy, laundry, coach house, garage, hangar, outhouse, penthouse, lean-to, portico, porch, stoop, stope, veranda, patio, lanai, terrace, deck, lobby, court, courtyard, hall, vestibule, corridor, passage, breezeway, ante room, ante chamber, lounge, piazza, veranda, conservatory, greenhouse, bower, arbor, summerhouse, alcove, grotto, hermitage, lodging, bed, carriage, capsular, saccular, sacculated, recipient, ventricular, cystic, vascular, vesicular, cellular, camerated, locular, multilocular, polygastric, marsupial, siliquose, siliquous.