William Seward Burroughs wil·liam·se·wardburroughs uncommon noun 1. United States writer noted for his works portraying the life of drug addicts (1914-1997) SynonymsBurroughsWilliam BurroughsWilliam S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs 2. United States inventor who patented the first practical adding machine (1855-1898) SynonymsBurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs Related words Broader terms inventorwriter WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.