noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɹɒtn̩ ˈbʌɹə/
General-American:/ˌɹɑtn̩ ˈbʌɹoʊ/
General-American:/-ˈbɜ-/
General-American:[ˌɹɑʔn̩-]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ʌɹə
1
noun
Meaning 1
A parliamentary borough that was represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly that they were largely controlled by the main landowner; such boroughs were abolished in the 19th century.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, historical
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, broadly
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an English parliamentary constituency with few electors
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: borough
History
Etymology
From rotten (“in a state of decay”) + borough (“type of administrative district”), because such boroughs were regarded as having “decayed” due to their voters moving away to other places.
Across languages
Translations
14 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Basque:
burgu usteldu
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Bulgarian:
гнил район
(gnil rajon)
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Chinese Mandarin:
腐敗選區 /腐败选区
(fǔbàixuǎnqū)
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Finnish:
lahonnut kauppala
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
French:
bourg pourri
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Hebrew:
מחוז רקוב ומחוז כיס
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Italian:
borgo putrido
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Japanese:
腐敗選挙区
(fuhaisenkyoku)
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Macedonian:
гнил ре́он
(gnil réon)
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Norwegian Bokmål:
råtten valgkrets
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Norwegian Bokmål:
lommevalgkrets
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Polish:
zgniłe miasteczko
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Russian:
гнило́е месте́чко
(gnilóje mestéčko)
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
Spanish:
burgo podrido
— parliamentary borough represented in Parliament although the number of voters had diminished so greatly they were largely controlled by the main landowner; parliamentary constituency or electoral district in a similar situation
