The Collaborative International Dictionary
Burden \Bur"den\ (b[^u]"d'n), n. [Written also burthen.] [OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byr[eth]en; akin to Icel. byr[eth]i, Dan. byrde, Sw. b["o]rda, G. b["u]rde, OHG. burdi, Goth. ba['u]r[thorn]ei, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth. bairan. [root]92. See 1st Bear.]
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That which is borne or carried; a load.
Plants with goodly burden bowing.
--Shak. -
That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone, To all my friends a burden grown.
--Swift. The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden.
(Mining) The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
(Metal.) The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.
--Raymond.A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds.
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A birth. [Obs. & R.]
--Shak.Beast of burden, an animal employed in carrying burdens.
Burden of proof [L. onus probandi] (Law), the duty of proving a particular position in a court of law, a failure in the performance of which duty calls for judgment against the party on whom the duty is imposed.
Syn: Burden, Load.
Usage: A burden is, in the literal sense, a weight to be borne; a load is something laid upon us to be carried. Hence, when used figuratively, there is usually a difference between the two words. Our burdens may be of such a nature that we feel bound to bear them cheerfully or without complaint. They may arise from the nature of our situation; they may be allotments of Providence; they may be the consequences of our errors. What is upon us, as a load, we commonly carry with greater reluctance or sense of oppression. Men often find the charge of their own families to be a burden; but if to this be added a load of care for others, the pressure is usually serve and irksome.
Wiktionary
n. (context legal English) The duty of a party in a legal proceeding to prove an assertion of fact; it includes both the burden of production and the burden of persuasion; the onus probandi
WordNet
n. the duty of proving a disputed charge
Wikipedia
Burden of proof may refer to:
- Legal burden of proof
- Philosophic burden of proof
Burden of Proof is an extended play album released by American rock music artist Bob Schneider. Released on June 11, 2013, the EP is available for purchase as a download or CD from the iTunes Store or Amazon.com.
Burden of Proof is the sixth album by the Canterbury associated band Soft Machine Legacy and their third studio album, released on CD in March 2013.
Usage examples of "burden of proof".
They had set up an inspections system that they hoped would place the burden of proof on Saddam.
But the burden of proof that he is genuinely ill rests on the shoulders of the alleged patient.
However, if we can find a sensible mechanism for otherwise reasonable people believing that they really were carted off in a UFO, then the burden of proof shifts dramatically and evidence of abduction stronger than sincere expressions of belief becomes necessary.