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# bureau

noun (a bureau, bureaus or bureaux)

«bureau» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An office or government department that does a special job, such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) or a tourist information bureau. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#m1)
2. (UK) A writing desk with drawers and a lid that folds down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#m2)
3. (US) A chest of drawers for clothes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life you meet bureaus as offices: a «travel bureau», a «weather bureau» (the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia), a «bureau de change» (where you swap money for travel). In homes, Grandma's old bureau may hold letters and pens.

### Examples

- The Bureau of Meteorology says it will rain tomorrow. (Australia) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x1)
- We changed our money at a bureau de change. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x2)
- The FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x3)
- Grandma keeps her letters in an old wooden bureau. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x4)
- My socks are in the top drawer of the bureau. (US) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x5)
- Ask at the tourist bureau for a map. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/#x6)

### Note

Two plurals: bureaus (common, US) and bureaux (UK, French style). Said «BYOOR-oh». Spelling trap: b-u-r-e-a-u, from French. Related: bureaucracy (lots of offices and rules), bureaucrat.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «bureau» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bureau/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bureau» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bureau.html) on Mova free.