burro

noun

bur·​ro ˈbər-(ˌ)ō  ˈbu̇r- 

ˈbə-(ˌ)rō

plural burros

: donkey sense 1

The farm boasted an array of animals including goats, a burro, geese, ducks, chickens and an Irish water spaniel named Mr. Dooley …

—Dorothy and John Tarrant

especially : a small donkey used as a pack animal

… bought a burro on which to pack their kit.

—Frank Norris

Figures darker than the gloom approached and took shape, and in the light turned out to be those of a white man and a heavily packed burro.

—Zane Grey

Synonyms

• ass
• donkey
• jackass
• moke [British slang]

Examples of burro in a Sentence

used a burro to carry the supplies

Recent Examples on the Web

After decades of neglect, the BLM is starting to address overpopulations of wild horses and burros on its Western rangelands. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024

Your second best bet is to stay put and get yourself a burro. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024

The training runs are also ideal for educating the public about pack burro racing. —Heather Mundt, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2024

Correspondent Conor Knighton looks at efforts (such as adoption programs for wild and domestic burros) aimed at giving these social animals a better life. —David Morgan, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, irregular from borrico, from Late Latin burricus small horse

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

burro

noun

bur·​ro ˈbər-ō  ˈbu̇r- 

ˈbə-rō

plural burros

: a small donkey often used as a pack animal