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n. 1. A whirring sound. 2. Strong forward momentum; driving force. intr.v. birred, birr·ing, birrs To make a whirring sound. [Middle English bir, favorable wind, from Old Norse byrr; see bher-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
[Amharic bərr, silver, silver taler bearing the portrait of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa (used as currency throughout East Africa and the Indian Ocean region until recent times), birr; see brr in the Appendix of Semitic roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
