Added 2 October 2026
bourdon
/ˈbʊədən/ noun
Latin root: burdō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bourdon at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
- a pilgrim's staff.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English burdoun (“accompaniment”), from Old French bordon, from Medieval Latin burdō, burdōnem (“drone”), probably from Frankish *buʀdō (“grub, beetle, cricket, bumblebee”), related to Old English budda (“beetle”), Saterland Frisian Budde (“worm or grub used as fishbait”), Icelandic budda (“purse”). The modern pronunciation and form (for *burdon) is influenced by modern French bourdon.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)