n. — Forestry, obsolete
an area of burnt forest or swamp.
Type: 1. Origin — The term brûlée describes an area of forest that has been 'destroyed by fire' (see Gage-5, s.v. "brule"). Brûlées are large areas (see the 1881 quotation) with a multitude of blackened stumps (see the 1900 and 1942 quotations). DA's earliest attestation of the term describes a brûlée as "a large clearing apparently made by fire and which the Canadians would call a Grand-Brule" (see the second 1793 quotation). The term appears also to apply to burnt swampland (see DARE, s.v. "brule"). The term derives from the Canadian French term "bruler", which means 'to burn', and has likely come into English via Quebec French, though the term had currency in American English as well. DARE, s.v. "brulé" (1), dates its first attestation to 1834, while OED-3 only lists the sense related to cuisine (s.v. "brûlée (n.), (v.)).
See also Gage-1, s.v. "brule", which is marked "Cdn", ITP Nelson, s.v. "brulee", which is marked "Canadian".