Forms: α. 6– burthen. β. 6 burdon, bourdain, 6– burden. [f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. To lay a (material) burden on; to load.
1570. Levins, Manip., 61. To burden, onerare.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 419. The colt that’s backed and burthened being young.
1621. Bargrave, Serm. Selfe-Policy (1624), 2. Coffers burdned with the aboundance of silver and gold.
1830. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 299. Glaciers … burdened with alluvial debris.
b. fig. To load, encumber, oppress, lay a burden on, tax (memory, conscience, resources, etc.).
1541. Elyot, Image Gov., 153 b. Bourdainyng theim with continuall labours.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 199. Let vs not burthen our remembrances, with A heauinesse that’s gon.
1637. Sc. Prayer Bk., Ceremonies, Which … did burden mens consciences without any cause.
1727. Swift, Gulliver, IV. ix. 316. Without burthening their memories.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Homes Abroad, ii. 34. Without burthening the parish.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xxi. 459. Burdened with variety of pursuits and duties.
† 2. To charge (a person) with (an accusation); to lay as a charge upon (a person). Obs. or arch.
1559. Declar. of Doctrine, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. I. viii. 114. Elias the prophet was burthened with false doctrine, and to be a disturber of the commonwealth.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 14. Manie writers burthen King William for the procuring of Stigand his deprivation.
1580. North, Plutarch, 721. One of the Tribunes … burdened him [Clodius] that he had prophaned the holy Ceremonies.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 276 b. You must … convince all these patcheries to be falsly burdened upon your Church.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 209. This is false he burthens me withall.
[1779. Johnson, L. P., Wks. 1816, X. 21. Too studious of truth to have them burdened with a false charge.]
† 3. To burden out: to outweigh. Obs. rare.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., 375. Whether … they have in them any weight, wherewith to burthen out Opinion.
Hence Burdening vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. v. 10. Weake Shoulders, ouerborne with burthening Griefe.
1645. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., II. v. 82. A Synod hath a commanding and burdening Power.
