- pronunciation:
- byU
ro
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| inflections: |
bureaus, bureaux |
| definition 1: |
a chest of drawers.
I keep all of my shirts and pants in one bureau.
- synonyms:
- dresser
- similar words:
- cabinet, chest, wardrobe
|
| definition 2: |
a department in a government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is one department of the United States government.- synonyms:
- agency, department, service
- similar words:
- division
|
| definition 3: |
an office or department that is responsible for certain jobs.
The news bureau gives important information to the people.- synonyms:
- department
- similar words:
- agency, branch, division, office, service
|
| related words: |
department |
|
|
The word
bureau comes from an early French word for a coarse woolen cloth used to cover a desk.
Bureau became the word for desk, and then for the office in which the desk stood.