burke
verbnouncommon in dialogue
- //bɜː(ɹ)k//
To murder by suffocation.
verb
- 1
slangTo murder by suffocation.
As soon as the executioner proceeded to his duty, the cries of ‘Burke him, Burke him—give him no rope’... were vociferated... ‘Burke Hare too!’
- 2
historicalTo murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds.
‘You don’t mean to say he was burked, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round.
- 3
slangTo smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
The reporters left it out... Those who spoke in favour of the poor men, were what the reporters call burked.
He put away—burked—the Directors' letter, and went in to talk to Riley
Socrates and Plato burked the issue.
Etymology
Eponymous, from William Burke.
noun
- 1
Variant of berkslangAlternative form of berk.
Forms
- plural
- burkes
- past tense
- burked
- past participle
- burked
- present participle
- burking
- third person singular
- burkes