Burke

Pronunciation

• enPR: bûrk, IPA: /bɜː(ɹ)k/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)k

Origin

Eponymous, from William Burke.

Full definition of burke

Verb

1. (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!’
2. (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.
3. (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
4. 1953, Robert Graves, Poems, 4
5. Socrates and Plato burked the issue.

Related terms

• To bishop

Noun

1. (British, slang) Variant spelling of berk.

Anagrams

• burek