Burke
Pronunciation
- enPR: bûrk, IPA: /bÉœË(ɹ)k/
- Rhymes: -ÉœË(r)k
Origin
Eponymous, from William Burke.
Full definition of burke
Verb
- (UK, slang) To murder in the same manner as Burke, to kill by suffocation
- 1829 February 2, Times (London), 3/5As soon as the executioner proceeded to his duty, the cries of ‘Burke him, Burke him—give him no rope’... were vociferated... ‘Burke Hare too!’
- (UK, slang, historical) To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, &c.
- 1833, T. Hook, Parson's Daughter, II. i. 26Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds.
- 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, :‘You don’t mean to say he was burked, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round.
- (UK, slang) To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
- 1835, J. A. Roebuck. Dorchester Labourers, 6/1 (note)The reporters left it out... Those who spoke in favour of the poor men, were what the reporters call burked.
- 1888, Rudyard Kipling, Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 128:He put away—burked—the Directors' letter, and went in to talk to Riley
- 1953, Robert Graves, Poems, 4
- Socrates and Plato burked the issue.
Related terms
- To bishop