An archaic or poetic spelling of 'burden,' meaning a heavy load, responsibility, or source of hardship.
Middle English variant of 'burden,' from Old English 'byrthen.' This spelling reflects older English pronunciation and spelling conventions before standardization.
Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers used 'burthen' in their plays and poems—it's the same word as 'burden' but shows how English spelling wasn't standardized until after the 1600s!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.