burl1
/bəːl
/noun
1A slub or lump in wool or cloth.Then the said third weft yarn preferably becomes a weft yarn situated between the successive pile burls, a number of advantages of which were mentioned....
- The worker depresses a pedal to start a machine that moves fabric over an inspection board, and scans and feels fabric for defects, such as burls, slubs, loose threads, mispicks, defective pile or soils.
- Presumably it was the plank on which the tucker laid the piece of cloth so that it could be inspected carefully and the burls or knots removed.
1.1North American A rounded knotty growth on a tree, used especially in handcrafted objects and veneers: she used warty burls to construct her pieces [mass noun]: wooden coin banks made of elm burl [as modifier]: a burl bowl...
- Illustrated in the book are other articles made in the Dominy shop for family use, such as a wooden bowl made of a burl from an apple tree and a swift to wind wool yarn.
- Veneers cut from burls also display the fascinating figure.
- Tucked away in the forest, and only accessible to those with local knowledge, its old contorted paperbark trees exhibited gnarly branches, trunks and burls.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French bourle 'tuft of wool', diminutive of bourre 'coarse wool', from late Latin burra 'wool'.
Rhymes
burl2
/bəːl/noun Australian /NZ informal
An attempt: we’ll give it a burl...
- Short summary: cool, intriguing, not just a horror/slasher flick - give it a burl.
- This is their first chance to get up on stage and give their comedy acts a burl and they're all keen, confident and quietly scared to death.
- So I gave it a burl, and ever since I've not been able to watch an episode without imitating Moran's manic nature for the following two days.
Origin
Early 20th century: regional usage of birl.