barnburner

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barnburner^¹

Where it comes from

From barn + burner. In exaggerated use, from the hyperbolic idea of someone burning down a barn to end a rat infestation.

noun barnburners · barn burner · barn-burner

One who burns down a barn.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, slang Synonym of phosphorus match, a friction match that can be struck anywhere.
Similar: phosphorus match
idiomatic A sensationally exciting or successful event or person. Those deathless twin barnburners return to the Metropolitan Opera tonight.

Barnburner^²

noun Barnburners

US, historical, slang A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, around 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.

Opposite: Hunker

Thesaurus

noun

Opposite: Hunker

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MLA

"barnburner." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/barnburner. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

barnburner. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/barnburner

Chicago

"barnburner." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/barnburner.

BibTeX

@misc{barnburner_2026,
  title = {barnburner},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/barnburner},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}