burden

BURD'EN, noun burd'n; written also burthen. [Latin fero, or porto.] 1. That which is borne or carried; a load. Hence, 2. That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome or oppressive. 3. A birth. 4. The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each verse; the chorus; so called from the application of this word to the drone or base, and the pipe or string which plays it, in an instrument. A chord which is to be divided, to perform the intervals of music, when open and undivided, is also called the burden 5. In common language, that which is often repeated; a subject on which one dwells. 6. A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds. 7. The contents of a ship; the quantity or number of tons, a vessel will carry; as a ship of a hundred tons burden 8. A club. [Not in use.] BURD'EN, verb transitive burd'n. To load; to lay on a heavy load; to incumber with weight. Hence, 1. To oppress with any thing grievous; as, to burden a nation with taxes. 2. To surcharge; as, to burden the memory.