Also 4 bor-, burdoun, -don, 5 burdown. [a. F. bourdon the continuous bass or ‘drone’ of the bagpipe, the bass string of a violin, etc., also a drone bee, = Sp. bordon, Pg. bordão, It. bordone, med.L. burdo drone: possibly an imitative word: cf. the Celtic stem durd-, dord-, noise, sound.
(A conjecture that the bass-pipe of an organ, or drone of a bagpipe may have been so called from its resemblance to a staff, BOURDON1, is not supported by the history.)]
† 1. The low undersong or accompaniment, which was sung while the leading voice sang a melody.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 673. This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun [v.r. bordoun], Was neuere trompe of half so greet a soun. Ibid., Reeves T., 245. His wyf bar him a burdon [v.r. burdoun], a ful strong.
c. 1400. Epiph., 1918 (Turnb., 1843). They yeve a full delectabull sond Bothe trebull and meyne and burdown.
1596. Spenser, Astroph., Aegl., 77. Wolues do howle and barke, And seem to beare a bourdon to their plaint. [For the continuation of this sense see BURDEN, in which word it has been completely merged.]
2. A bass stop in an organ, usually of 16ft. tone; a similar stop in a harmonium; also the drone of a bagpipe. Also attrib., as in bourdon stop.
1861. G. M. Musgrave, By-roads & Battle-Fl., 55. A tone equal to the finest bourdon stop of a large church-organ.
1876. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond., 195. Others murmured them [prayers] in a low bourdon kind of voice.
1882. Musical Times, 1 Feb., 106/1. Second-hand organ for sale…. Separate bourdon, pedais, couplers, composition pedals, &c.
