burden

About 18.71 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A heavy load.
2. noun A responsibility, onus.
3. noun A cause of worry; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
4. noun The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry.

   a ship of a hundred tons burden

5. noun The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
6. noun The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.
7. noun A fixed quantity of certain commodities.

   A burden of gad steel is 120 pounds.

8. noun A birth.

   … that bore thee at a burden two fair sons.

Similar words

load incumbrance encumbrance weight down onus loading effect essence gist charge

Often followed by

of on to and is for upon in that

Word family

burdened burdening burdens