bury



buried treasure

1. Literally, treasure (such as gold, jewels, or other valuable items) that has been buried under sand or lays hidden in the ocean. Every kid dreams of finding buried treasure at the beach.
2. Anything that has lain dormant or undiscovered for a long period of time that, upon discovery, is found to be of great value. The writer, who was unknown in his lifetime, became hugely popular after the buried treasure of his unpublished manuscript was discovered among his belongings.
See also: bury, treasure

bury the lead

In journalism, to open a news article with secondary or superfluous information, thus relegating the central premise (the lead, which usually occupies this position) to a later part. "Lead" in this sense is sometimes written as "lede." I usually just skim through articles in the newspaper, so it really annoys me when they bury the lead.
See also: bury, lead

dead 'n' buried

A colloquial conjunction of "dead and buried," meaning (literally) dead and interred in the ground or (figuratively) forever gone or done away with. With the old man dead 'n' buried, I'm the only one to look after the farm now. My love for you is dead 'n' buried, so don't come bothering me anymore.
See also: bury, dead

bury (one's) head in the sand

To avoid, or try to avoid, a particular situation by pretending that it does not exist. The phrase refers to the common but mistaken belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when frightened, so as to avoid being seen. Lou, you can't bury your head in the sand about your health—please, make an appointment with your doctor and get that rash checked out! A: "How has Peter been handling the break-up?" B: "Oh, just burying his head in the sand and ignoring his feelings."
See also: bury, head, sand

be dead and buried

To be completely gone or defunct. The phrase can refer to one who has literally died and been buried, as well as to failures. Their father is dead and buried, but they still complain about him daily. Oh, that idea from last week's meeting is dead and buried now that the CEO has vetoed it.
See also: and, bury, dead

bury one's head in the sand

 and hide one's head in the sand; have one's head in the sand
Fig. to ignore or hide from obvious signs of danger. (Alludes to an ostrich, which is believed incorrectly to hide its head in a hole in the ground when it sees danger.) Stop burying your head in the sand. Look at the statistics on smoking and cancer.
See also: bury, head, sand

bury oneself in something

 
1. Fig. to become very busy with something. She stopped taking phone calls and buried herself in her work. He tended to bury himself in his work.
2. Fig. to hide oneself some place. (Alludes to burying oneself in a cave or something similar.) He buried himself in the back of the little shop and worked quietly. The lizard buried itself in the sand.
See also: bury

bury someone or something away (some place)

to bury or hide someone or something some place. The dog buried the bone away under a bush. The ex-dictator was buried away in an unmarked grave.
See also: away, bury

bury someone or something in something

 
1. Lit. to inter someone or something in a grave, the ground, a vault, a tomb, etc. They buried the old man in the family vault. Thousands of war veterans are buried in the national cemetery.
2. Fig. to hide or conceal someone or something from view in some place. The office manager buried Tom at a small desk in the back room. Someone buried the manual typewriter in a room full of old junk.
See also: bury

bury someone or something under something

to bury someone or something beneath something, sometimes to hide or conceal it. Joe buried the money under a stone in the forest. They buried Aunt Mary under a pine tree.
See also: bury

bury the hatchet

Fig. to make peace. Let's stop arguing and bury the hatchet. Tom and I buried the hatchet and we are good friends now.
See also: bury, hatchet

dead and buried

 
1. Lit. dead and interred, and soon to be forgotten. Now that Uncle Bill is dead and buried, we can read his will.
2. Fig. gone forever. That kind of old-fashioned thinking is dead and buried.
See also: and, bury, dead

know where all the bodies are buried

Fig. to know all the secrets and intrigue from the past; to know all the relevant and perhaps hidden details. He is a good choice for president because he knows where all the bodies are buried. Since he knows where all the bodies are buried, he is the only one who can advise us.
See also: all, body, bury, know

Let the dead bury the dead.

Prov. Do not try to revive old grievances.; Forget about past conflicts. (Biblical.) The Nelson family and the Hopkins family had been feuding for decades, but when Andrew Nelson and Louise Hopkins declared that they wanted to get married, their families decided to let the dead bury the dead.
See also: bury, dead, let

bury the hatchet

to agree that you will forget about arguments and disagreements with someone The two teammates hope to bury the hatchet long enough to win the championship.
Etymology: based on the custom of literally burying a hatchet (cutting tool with a small handle) as a symbol of peace between Native American tribes (groups of people)
See also: bury, hatchet

bury the hatchet

to forget about arguments and disagreements with someone and to become friends with them again It had been over a year since the incident and I thought it was time we buried the hatchet.
See also: bury, hatchet

bury your head in the sand

to refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping that it will improve so that you will not have to deal with it Parents said bullying was being ignored, and accused the headmaster of burying his head in the sand.
See also: bury, head, sand

be dead and buried

to be ended completely As far as I'm concerned the matter's dead and buried. I won't rest until fascism is dead and buried in this country.
See also: and, bury, dead

bury the hatchet

Make peace; settle one's differences. For example, Toward the end of the year, the roommates finally decided to bury the hatchet. Although some believe this term comes from a Native American custom for declaring peace between warring tribes, others say it comes from hang up one's hatchet, a term dating from the early 1300s (well before Columbus landed in the New World). The word bury replaced hang up in the 1700s.
See also: bury, hatchet

dead and buried

Also, dead and gone. Long forgotten, no longer in use, as in That argument is dead and buried, or No point in worrying about regulations that are long dead and gone. This figurative use of "having died" is usually applied to some issue. [Late 1800s]
See also: and, bury, dead

hide one's head in the sand

Also, bury one's head in the sand. Refuse to face something by pretending not to see it. For example, For years we have been hiding our heads in the sand, refusing to admit that the store is losing money , or When it comes to a family quarrel, Dean just buries his head in the sand. This expression, transferred to human behavior in the early 1600s, alludes to the belief that ostriches burrow in sand thinking they will not be seen because they cannot see. In fact, however, when they do this, they are consuming sand and gravel to aid their digestive system.
See also: head, hide, sand

bury the hatchet

1. tv. to make peace. (From an alleged American Indian practice.) I’m sorry. Let’s stop arguing and bury the hatchet.
2. tv. to leave surgical instruments in the patient. (Medical.) The idea that a doctor would bury the hatchet is a very old joke.
See also: bury, hatchet

bury the hatchet

To stop fighting; resolve a quarrel.
See also: bury, hatchet

dead and buried

No longer in use or under consideration: All past animosities are dead and buried now.
See also: and, bury, dead

bury the hatchet

To make peace, to settle differences. The phrase comes from the practice among native American and Canadian tribes literally to bury a war axe at the end of hostilities. An 1680 report describes European colonists in what became New England: “Meeting wth ye Sachem [the tribal leaders] the[y] came to an agreemt and buried two Axes in ye Ground; which ceremony to them is more significant & binding than all Articles of Peace . . .”
See also: bury, hatchet

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Combs[ku:mz]
AlyseAL-isEnglish (Modern)
Ferrucciofer-ROOT-choItalian
Berhanu-Eastern African, Amharic
OlegÁRio-Portuguese
IsmoEES-moFinnish