burden-bearer
|bur-den-bear-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɜrdənˌbɛrər/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɜːdənˌbeərə/
one who carries a load or responsibility
Etymology
'burden-bearer' originates from English as a compound of 'burden' and 'bearer'. 'burden' originates from Old English 'byrthen', where 'byrth' meant 'that which is carried'; 'bearer' comes from Old English 'bera'/'beran', where 'beran' meant 'to carry.'
'burden' developed from Old English 'byrthen' into Middle English 'burden' and then modern English 'burden'; 'bearer' derives from Old English forms of the verb 'beran' through Middle English 'beren' to the agent noun 'bearer.'
Initially, it meant 'one who carries a physical load', but over time the compound (and each component) also came to be used figuratively to mean 'one who bears responsibility or hardship.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who carries a physical load or package from one place to another.
The hired burden-bearer carried the crates up the steep path.
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Noun 2
a person who endures or assumes responsibility, hardship, or emotional weight on behalf of others (figurative use).
As the organization's burden-bearer, she accepted blame and paid the costs to protect her team.
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Last updated: 2026/01/15 19:41