burke

[ burk ]
See synonyms for burke on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),burked, burk·ing.
  1. to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.

  2. to suppress or get rid of by some indirect maneuver.

Origin of burke

1
After W. Burke, hanged in 1829 in Edinburgh for murders of this kind

Other words from burke

  • burker, burk·ite [bur-kahyt], /ˈbɜr kaɪt/, noun

Other definitions for Burke (2 of 2)

Burke
[ burk ]

noun
  1. Billie Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, 1886–1970, U.S. actress.

  2. Edmund, 1729–97, Irish statesman, orator, and writer.

  1. Kenneth Du·va [doo-vuh], /duˈvə/, 1897–1993, U.S. literary critic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use burke in a sentence

  • If a child were lost, the paragraph announcing the fact was headed, “Another supposed case of Burking.”

  • Well, of course, if Farrant chooses to insult Percival so gratuitously by burking his message to us .

    Three Plays by Granville-Barker | Harley Granville-Barker
  • Then followed the usual process of burking, and Mary Haldane, unfortunate in life, was equally unfortunate in her death.

    The History of Burke and Hare | George Mac Gregor
  • A burker was unknown before the crimes of William burke were made public; burking was an undiscovered art until he discovered it.

    The History of Burke and Hare | George Mac Gregor
  • In some houses, I saw several foreigners; and in the days when burking was common, many of these unfortunates were made away with.

British Dictionary definitions for burke (1 of 2)

burke

/ (bɜːk) /


verb(tr)
  1. to murder in such a way as to leave no marks on the body, usually by suffocation

  2. to get rid of, silence, or suppress

Origin of burke

1
C19: named after William Burke, executed in Edinburgh for a murder of this type

British Dictionary definitions for Burke (2 of 2)

Burke

/ (bɜːk) /


noun
  1. Edmund . 1729–97, British Whig statesman, conservative political theorist, and orator, born in Ireland: defended parliamentary government and campaigned for a more liberal treatment of the American colonies; denounced the French Revolution

  2. Robert O'Hara . 1820–61, Irish explorer, who led the first expedition (1860–61) across Australia from south to north. He was accompanied by W. J. Wills, George Grey, and John King; King alone survived the return journey

  1. William . 1792–1829, Irish murderer and body snatcher; associate of William Hare

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012