i Register
In some senses, burke is marked as slang, UK, historical, British. Watch for register when choosing this word.
burke
/bɜː(ɹ)k/
name 5verb 3noun 1
Collocations
2VERB + BURKE
cries, rope, vociferated
The angry crowd vociferated and tried to burke the controversial proposal at the town meeting.
BURKE + NOUN
hare, juncheng, qian
The serial killer Burke and Hare were notorious for their crimes in 19th-century Edinburgh.
Definitions
verb
1
To 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
To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
"I don’t know that," interrupted the landlady; "Williams is a good hanging name: there was Williams who murdered the Marr's family, and Williams who burked all those poor dear children; I dare say he is some relation of theirs; but to think of his coming to the White Hart—it's no place for his doings, I can tell him: he sha'n't poison his wife in my house; out he goes this very night—I'll take the letter to him myself."
Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds.
3
To 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
noun
1
Alternative form of berk.
name
1
A topographical surname from Anglo-Norman for someone who lived in a fortified place.
2
A number of places in the United States:
3
A number of places in the United States:
4
A number of places in the United States:
5
A number of places in the United States:
Thesaurus
Synonyms
noun — United States frontierswoman and legendary figure of the Wil
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
401
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!’
Wiktionary02
"I don’t know that," interrupted the landlady; "Williams is a good hanging name: there was Williams who murdered the Marr's family, and Williams who burked all those poor dear children; I dare say he
Wiktionary03
Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds.
Wiktionary04
Kristen Burke and Juncheng Qian had been dating for more than one-and-a-half years before they broke up six months ago.
Tatoeba · #7770208Usage Notes
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