borough

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
borough /ˈbʌrə/

▶noun

• 1 Brit. a town (as distinct from a city) with a corporation and privileges granted by a royal charter.

  ■ historical a town sending representatives to Parliament.

  ■ an administrative division of London.

• 2 a municipal corporation in certain US states.

  ■ each of five divisions of New York City.

– origin OE burg, burh ‘fortress, citadel’, later ‘fortified town’, of Gmc origin; cf. burgh.