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  • a variation of Burk.
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  • burke
    burke
    verb (used with object)
    to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.
  • Burke
    Burke
    noun
    Billie Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, 1886–1970, U.S. actress.
Synonyms

burke

1 American  
[burk] / bɜrk /

verb (used with object)

burked, burking
  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.


Burke 2 American  
[burk] / bɜrk /

noun

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

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

  3. Kenneth Duva 1897–1993, U.S. literary critic.


Burke 1 British  
/ 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

  3. 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

burke 2 British  
/ bɜːk /

verb

  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

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of burke

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Often, it's waiting for a response to a message that causes our initial discomfort, Burke explains.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

AI savvy can help distinguish a candidate, but it’s no guarantee that they’ll be hired, said career coach Burke.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

No wonder Edmund Burke, from the studio of Joshua Reynolds c.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

It is definitely commendable that the Dodgers “museum” commemorates Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

And she was not just a mother, she was also a wife to Arthur Burke, who had two sons of his own.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

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