Bureau Meaning
Bureau Definition & Usage
A piece of furniture, typically a chest of drawers or a writing desk with drawers, often used for storing papers or clothing.
Examples
- "She kept all her important documents in the bureau next to her bed."
- "The antique bureau in the corner of the room was a family heirloom."
- "His bureau was cluttered with old letters and unused stationery."
- "The bureau in the office was full of files waiting to be sorted."
- "I prefer using a bureau with multiple drawers for better organization."
An office or agency responsible for a particular area of work or activity, often within a government or large organization.
Examples
- "The bureau of statistics will release the data next week."
- "She works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington."
- "The tourism bureau is promoting a new campaign for the city’s summer attractions."
- "A new environmental bureau was established to handle waste management policies."
- "The news bureau in London reported on the political developments across Europe."
Cultural Context
The word 'bureau' has its origins in the French language, where it originally referred to a desk or office. In modern usage, it can refer both to types of furniture and to governmental or organizational offices. The dual meaning has historical roots in the development of administrative systems in Europe, particularly in France, where the term was used to describe desks where clerks worked on government matters.
The Bureau of Lost Papers
Story
The Bureau of Lost Papers
The small town of Clearwater had always been quiet, but all of that changed when the mayor’s office received a strange letter one Tuesday morning. It was addressed to the ‘Bureau of Lost Papers’, a title no one recognized. Amelia, the town clerk, was tasked with investigating the matter. She arrived at the mayor’s office, where the mayor herself sat, perplexed. The letter was from a distant government bureau, asking for specific documents from the town's archives. The documents were said to be lost, misplaced in history, and this ‘bureau’ was supposed to be their custodians. Amelia, skeptical at first, set out to find the papers. She dug through the dusty bureau in the back of the town hall office, searching for old records that had been forgotten for decades. As she rifled through old files, she couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious bureau that had sent the letter. Was it truly a legitimate government agency, or was it a scam? Later that afternoon, Amelia visited the local furniture store to purchase a new bureau for her home. She chuckled to herself, thinking how she would never forget the word 'bureau' again. But the mystery of the lost papers lingered in her mind. Could the small, forgotten bureau of Clearwater truly hold the key to solving a larger mystery? By the time she returned to her office, Amelia had found the missing documents. She carefully placed them on the mayor’s desk, knowing they would soon be on their way to a larger bureau far beyond the town’s borders. The next day, the mayor received another letter – this time, thanking Clearwater for recovering the lost papers. The Bureau of Lost Papers had found their missing documents at last. Amelia smiled to herself, relieved to have solved the mystery, but also curious about what the future held for Clearwater and the many other bureaus out there, hidden behind mysterious letters and forgotten files.
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