burrow

1.nounB2

Definition

an underground tunnel or small chamber that a creature like a rabbit, fox, or badger scrapes out of the soil and uses as its home.

Example

Maya's terrier sniffed at a rabbit burrow under the hedge.

noun phrase: a [animal] burrow

The fox vanished into its burrow as soon as the dogs barked.

possessive: its / their burrow

Common collocations

rabbit burrow
fox burrow
dig a burrow
disappear into a burrow
the entrance to a burrow

Synonyms

den
broader; covers any wild animal's home, including caves and hollow logs
warren
specifically a network of connected rabbit burrows
hole
general and informal; lacks the sense of a built shelter

Usage Note

Subject is normally a small burrowing mammal (rabbit, fox, badger, mole, prairie dog). Often paired with possessives (its burrow, their burrow) to mark ownership of a specific den.

Common Mistakes

A bird built a burrow in the tree.

A bird built a nest in the tree.

burrows are dug into the ground; nests sit above ground.

The rabbit ran into his borrow.

The rabbit ran into his burrow.

do not confuse spelling with the verb 'borrow' (to take something temporarily).

1.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

(of an animal or person) to scrape away soil with claws or hands so as to form a tunnel or hidden space, often as a place to live.

Example

Moles burrow under the lawn and leave small mounds of earth behind.

burrow + under + noun

The puppy tried to burrow into the soft sand at the beach.

burrow + into + noun

Common collocations

burrow into the ground
burrow under a fence
burrow through sand
burrow deep

Synonyms

tunnel
neutral; emphasises the long shape of the passage rather than the animal making it
dig
more general; works for shallow holes too, not just shelters
excavate
formal or technical; usually for archaeology or construction, not animals

Grammar Patterns

burrow + into/under/through + noun

Usage Note

Almost always followed by an adverb or preposition of direction (into, under, through, down). The bare verb 'burrow' on its own is rare in modern English.

Common Mistakes

The rabbit was burrowing.

The rabbit was burrowing into the soil.

readers expect a direction phrase; without it the sentence feels incomplete.

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1

Definition

to push your body, head, or face firmly into a soft place, or against another person, in order to feel warm, safe, or hidden.

Example

Lina burrowed under the thick blanket and closed her tired eyes.

burrow + under + noun

The frightened puppy burrowed into Marcus's coat during the thunderstorm.

burrow + into + person's clothing

Common collocations

burrow under the covers
burrow into someone's arms
burrow her face into
burrow deeper

Synonyms

snuggle
very close; emphasises affectionate closeness more than hiding
nestle
softer and slower; suggests settling gently into a cosy spot
nuzzle
specifically with the nose or face, often as a sign of affection

Grammar Patterns

burrow + into/under + noun

burrow + body part + into + noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (DIG TUNNEL): here no soil is moved — the action is about pressing into something soft (a blanket, coat, shoulder, cushion). Often used with small children, pets, or someone seeking comfort.

Common Mistakes

She burrowed in bed.

She burrowed under the covers.

this sense needs a soft target after into / under, not a flat location.

3.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to look for something by pushing your hand or arm deep among many objects, such as papers in a drawer or items in a bag.

Example

Carlos burrowed through his backpack for the missing house keys.

burrow + through + container

The reporter burrowed in the old files until she found the right photograph.

burrow + in + collection

Common collocations

burrow through papers
burrow in a drawer
burrow into a bag
burrow for something

Synonyms

rummage
very close in meaning; perhaps slightly more about messy hand movement
dig
informal; often used the same way (dig through a drawer)
rifle through
quicker and rougher; can suggest looking without permission

Grammar Patterns

burrow + through/in/into + noun

Usage Note

Figurative extension of sense 1: the searcher's hand or arm acts like a digging animal. Object is usually a place full of small items (drawer, bag, pile of papers, files). Distinguish from sense 2 (SNUGGLE): here the goal is to find something, not to feel warm.

Common Mistakes

I burrowed the drawer for my keys.

I burrowed in the drawer for my keys.

this sense is intransitive; you cannot put the searched place straight after the verb.

Word family

burrower
nounC2
burrowing
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four describe removing earth, but they are not interchangeable. Burrow is animal-centred and almost always paired with into / under / through; the tunnel is small, hidden, and meant as a shelter or path. Dig is the everyday general word: a child can dig in sand, a worker can dig a hole, and either people or animals can do it. Tunnel emphasises the long, enclosed shape of the result and is often used for trains, miners, and prison-escape stories. Excavate is formal and technical, used by archaeologists removing layers of soil or by engineers preparing a building site. So a rabbit burrows under a fence, but workers excavate a foundation, and engineers tunnel beneath a river.

burrow ↗dig ↗tunnel ↗excavate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

deep
deeper
quickly
frantically

Phrases

burrow into the ground
burrow under the covers
burrow through papers

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Burrow grew out of the same Old English root that gave us 'borough' (a fortified town) and 'burgh' — both originally meaning a sheltered, defended place. By the Middle English period, the spelling and meaning had branched: 'borough' kept the human-settlement sense, while 'burrow' narrowed to the small underground shelter that an animal makes for itself. The verb 'to burrow' was formed later from the noun, so a rabbit's burrow came first, and the action of making one followed.

Entries near

Previous entries

Next entries

burrow

burrow — noun

1. an underground tunnel or small chamber that a creature like a rabbit, fox, or ba

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

burrow — verb

1. (of an animal or person) to scrape away soil with claws or hands so as to form a

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to push your body, head, or face firmly into a soft place, or against another pe

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to look for something by pushing your hand or arm deep among many objects, such

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Entries near

Entries near