BOROUGH

borough

(noun) an English town that forms the constituency of a member of parliament

borough

(noun) one of the administrative divisions of a large city

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

borough (plural boroughs)

(obsolete) A fortified town.

(rare) A town or city.

A town having a municipal corporation and certain traditional rights.

An administrative district in some cities, e.g, London.

An administrative unit of a city which, under most circumstances according to state or national law, would be considered a larger or more powerful entity; most commonly used in American English to define the five counties that make up New York City.

Other similar administrative units in cities and states in various parts of the world.

A district in Alaska having powers similar to a county.

(historical, British, legal) An association of men who gave pledges or sureties to the king for the good behaviour of each other.

(historical, British, legal) The pledge or surety thus given.

Etymology

Proper noun

The Borough

The area, properly called Southwark, just south of London Bridge, which is at the north end of Borough High Street (OS grid ref TQ3279).

Source: Wiktionary

Bor"ough, n. Etym: [OE. burgh, burw, boru, port, town, burrow, AS. burh, burg; akin to Icel., Sw., & Dan. borg, OS. & D. burg, OHG. puruc, purc, MHG. burc, G. burg, Goth. baúrgs; and from the root of AS. beorgan to hide, save, defend, G. bergen; or perh. from that of AS. beorg hill, mountain. Bury, v. t., and cf. Burrow, Burg, Bury, n., Burgess, Iceberg, Borrow, Harbor, Hauberk.]

1. In England, an incorporated town that is not a city; also, a town that sends members to parliament; in Scotland, a body corporate, consisting of the inhabitants of a certain district, erected by the sovereign, with a certain jurisdiction; in America, an incorporated town or village, as in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Burrill. Erskine.

2. The collective body of citizens or inhabitants of a borough; as, the borough voted to lay a tax. Close borough, or Pocket borough, a borough having the right of sending a member to Parliament, whose nomination is in the hands of a single person.

– Rotten borough, a name given to any borough which, at the time of the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, contained but few voters, yet retained the privilege of sending a member to Parliament.

Bor"ough, n. Etym: [See Borrow.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) An association of men who gave pledges or sureties to the king for the good behavior of each other. (b) The pledge or surety thus given. Blackstone. Tomlins.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition