[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

burden \bur"den\ b^u"d'n, n. written also burthen. oe.
   burden, burthen, birthen, birden, as. byrethen; akin to
   icel. byrethi, dan. byrde, sw. b"orda, g. b"urde, ohg.
   burdi, goth. ba'urthornei, fr. the root of e. bear, as.
   beran, goth. bairan. root92. see 1st bear.
   1. that which is borne or carried; a load.
      1913 webster

            plants with goodly burden bowing.     --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. that which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which
      is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive.
      1913 webster

            deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone,
            to all my friends a burden grown.     --swift.
      1913 webster

   3. the capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she
      will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden.
      1913 webster

   4. mining the tops or heads of stream-work which lie over
      the stream of tin.
      1913 webster

   5. metal. the proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the
      charge of a blast furnace. --raymond.
      1913 webster

   6. a fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of
      gad steel, 120 pounds.
      1913 webster

   7. a birth. obs.  r. --shak.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   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.
          1913 webster
see also:
bear beast of burden burden of proof burden load 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

beast of burden
     n : an animal such as a donkey or ox or elephant used for
         transporting loads or doing other heavy work syn: jument
see also:
jument 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

30 moby thesaurus words for "beast of burden":
   siberian husky, ass, camel, draft animal, dromedary, drudge,
   elephant, fag, galley slave, greasy grind, grind, grub, hack,
   horse, husky, llama, malamute, mule, ox, pack horse, plodder,
   reindeer, slave, sledge dog, slogger, sumpter, sumpter horse,
   sumpter mule, swot, workhorse

Beast Of Burden >> B Words
Beast Of Burden, definition of term: Beast Of Burden
beast+of+burden_pag1.html

Beast >> B Words
Beast, definition of term: Beast
beast_pag1.html

Burden >> B Words
Burden, definition of term: Burden
burden_pag1.html

Burden Of Proof >> B Words
Burden Of Proof, definition of term: Burden Of Proof
burden+of+proof_pag1.html