Bureau Noun - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of bureau noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bureau noun  /ˈbjʊərəʊ/  /ˈbjʊrəʊ/ (plural bureaux  /ˈbjʊərəʊz/  /ˈbjʊrəʊz/, bureaus) jump to other results

1. (British English) a desk with drawers and usually a top that opens down to make a table to write on
   • I came across the paperwork in an old bureau of hers.
   Topics Houses and homesc2

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2. (also dresser) (both North American English) (also chest of drawers British and North American English) a piece of furniture with drawers (= parts like boxes built into it with handles on the front for pulling them out) for keeping clothes in
3. an office or organization that provides information on a particular subject
   • She works for an employment bureau.
   • a convention bureau (= an office that provides information and services for people organizing conferences)
   • (especially North American English) a visitor’s bureau (= an office that provides information for tourists)
   see also credit bureauExtra Examples
   • She had a friend in the press bureau.
   • The bureau handles millions of requests each year.
   • It's the only international broadcaster with a permanent bureau in the country.
   Topics Holidaysc2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • federal
   • government
   • census
   • …
   verb + bureau
   • contact
   • go to
   • establish
   • …
   bureau + verb
   • handle something
   bureau + noun
   • staff
   • chief
   preposition
   • at a/​the bureau
   • in a/​the bureau
   • bureau of
   • …
   See full entry
4. (in the US) a government department or part of a government department
   • the Federal Bureau of Investigation
   • the US Bureau of Prisons
   Topics Politicsc1Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • federal
   • government
   • census
   • …
   verb + bureau
   • contact
   • go to
   • establish
   • …
   bureau + verb
   • handle something
   bureau + noun
   • staff
   • chief
   preposition
   • at a/​the bureau
   • in a/​the bureau
   • bureau of
   • …
   See full entry
Word Originlate 17th cent.: from French, originally ‘baize’ (used to cover writing desks), from Old French burel, probably from bure ‘dark brown’, based on Greek purros ‘red’.

See bureau in the Oxford Advanced American DictionaryCheck pronunciation: bureau

Other results

All matches

• bureau
• credit bureau noun
• marriage bureau noun
• bureau de change noun
• the Federal Bureau of Investigation noun
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• credit bureau
• weather bureau
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Federal Bureau of Investigation

See more

Nearby words

• burdensome adjective
• burdock noun
• bureau noun
• bureaucracy noun
• bureaucrat noun

newspaper noun From the Word list Oxford 3000 A1 Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day