Reading Theme:
Bureau: Definition, Usage & Common Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：government department (bureau)
bureau
/ˈbjʊr.oʊ/
n.
a government department or office that deals with a specific type of business.
government department
➕
/ˈɡʌv.ɚn.mənt dɪˈpɑːrt.mənt/
n.
An administrative unit or office of a government, typically responsible for a specific area of public affairs.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From French 'bureau', originally meaning 'desk', later extended to 'office'.
💡 Mnemonic
BUREAU sounds like 'your office' - a place for official business or a piece of furniture for your work.
📖 Example
When my passport expired, I had to visit the immigration bureau to apply for a new one.
This describes the necessary action of going to a specific government office to handle passport renewal.
🔗 Collocations
immigration bureau – the government office handling matters related to entering and leaving a country
travel bureau – an office providing travel information and services
bureau chief – the person in charge of a bureau or office
🔄 Synonyms
agency (n.) – a government department or administrative division.
department (n.) – a division of a large organization or government dealing with a specific area of activity.
office (n.) – a room, set of rooms, or building used as a place for administrative work.
🚫 Antonyms
private company (n.) – a commercial business owned by individuals, not the government.
🌱 Derivatives
bureaucracy (n.) – a system of government or administration marked by complex procedures and many officials.
bureaucrat (n.) – an official in a government department, especially one perceived as being overly concerned with procedural correctness.
📖 Cultural Story
The word 'bureau' entered English from French, where it originally referred to a coarse woolen cloth used to cover desks. By extension, it came to mean the desk itself, and later the office where such a desk was used. This reflects the historical link between the physical object of administration and the administrative function.
Meaning 2：writing desk with drawers (bureau)
bureau
/ˈbjʊr.oʊ/
n.
a piece of furniture with drawers and a lid, used for writing or working at.
writing desk with drawers
➕
/ˈraɪ.t̬ɪŋ desk wɪð drɔːrz/
n.
A piece of furniture, typically for writing, featuring a flat surface and drawers for storage. Often has a hinged lid that closes over the writing surface.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
I found an old love letter while cleaning out the drawers of my grandmother's wooden bureau.
This recounts a personal discovery made while organizing the compartments of a specific type of desk.
🔗 Collocations
antique bureau – an old and collectible writing desk
roll-top bureau – a desk with a flexible, rolling cover made of wooden slats
bureau drawer – a storage compartment within a writing desk
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
open shelf (n.) – a storage unit without enclosed sides or doors.
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