# borough

Pronunciation: US say "BUR-oh" /ˈbʌɹ.oʊ/; UK say "BU-ruh" /ˈbʌ.ɹə/

## Noun

1. An administrative division of a large city, such as one of the boroughs of London or the five boroughs of New York City.
   - Simple: One of the areas that a big city like London or New York is divided into, with its own local government.
   - _The new library will serve residents across the borough of Camden._
   - _Each London borough sets its own rules for collecting trash and recycling._
2. A town, especially one that has its own municipal corporation and certain traditional rights.
   - Simple: A town, especially one that has its own local government and special rights.
   - _Under its old charter, the borough held a weekly market and chose its own mayor._
   - _As the town grew, its leaders petitioned to become a borough with its own council._
3. In Alaska, a district of local government whose powers are similar to those of a county.
   - Simple: In Alaska, an area with its own local government, a lot like a county.
   - _In Alaska, the borough collects property taxes and runs the schools for the towns within it._
   - _Much of rural Alaska lies outside any organized borough._

## Noun

4. A town with defenses built to protect it from attack. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A town with strong walls or other defenses to keep enemies out.

## Other meanings

- (noun) An association of men who gave the king pledges or sureties for one another's good behavior.

## Origin

Proto-Germanic *burgz ("stronghold, city") gave Proto-West Germanic *burg and then Old English burh, burg, which Middle English spelled borwe, borgh, burgh, or buruh. Dutch burcht, German Burg, and Swedish borg are cognates, and Brough, burgh, and Bury are doublets.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/borough (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).