Lexic.us

Definition of Barnburner

1. Noun. Someone who burns down a barn.

2. Noun. An impressively successful event. "The rock concert was a real barnburner"

Definition of Barnburner

1. n. A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, about the middle of the 19th century, which was hostile to extension of slavery, public debts, corporate privileges, etc., and supported Van Buren against Cass for president in 1848; -- opposed to Hunker.

Definition of Barnburner

1. Noun. An extremely exciting or successful event or person. ¹

2. Noun. One who burns down a barn. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Barnburner

barn owl barn owls barn spider barn star barn swallow barn swallows barnacle barnacle goose barnacled barnaclelike

barnacles barnacling barnase barnboard barnboards barnburner (current term) barnburners barndoor barndoor skate barndoor skates

barned barnesite barney barneyed barneying barneys barnfloor barnfloors barnful barnfuls

Literary usage of Barnburner

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Fifty Years in Journalism Embracing Recollections and Personal Experiences by Beman Brockway (1891)
"The Terms Hunker and barnburner Defined—Letter from H. Greeley— His Tariff Ideas—RW <fc ORR Completed September 13th, 1851 —Deaths of Doctor AS Greene and ..."

2. The Great Issue, Or, The Three Presidential Candidates: Being a Brief by Oliver Gromwell Gardiner (1848)
"4 Origin of the terms Hunker and barnburner—causes of the late division in the party— position of Silas Wright, AC Flagg and others—the election of James K. ..."

3. Random Recollections by Henry Brewster Stanton (1887)
"The barnburner Revolt of 1847-48.—"The Assassins of Silas Wright."—List of barnburners and Hunkers ... The barnburner Revolt Defeats Cass and Elects Taylor. ..."

4. The Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries by Pond, Nathan Gillett, 1832-, Abbatt, William, 1851-1935, Martha Joanna Lamb, Stevens, John Austin, 1827-1910, John Austin Stevens (1887)
"JOHN VAN BUREN the barnburner journals under the Scriptural text, "The stone which the ... The great barnburner mass-meeting that followed the convention, ..."

5. Speeches and Writings of Hon. Thomas F. Marshall by Thomas Francis Marshall (1858)
"From thence the word barnburner arose. There never was a more thorough barnburner than he, ... He used the word barnburner in its metaphorical sense. ..."

6. The Life and Times of John Kelly: Tribune of the People by James Fairfax McLaughlin (1885)
"He was answered by John Cochrane in defence of the President, but as Mr. Cochrane had been a violent barnburner in 1848, his argument was handicapped by his ..."

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