- a variation of Burk.
burke
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.
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to suppress or get rid of by some indirect maneuver.
noun
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Billie Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, 1886–1970, U.S. actress.
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Edmund, 1729–97, Irish statesman, orator, and writer.
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Kenneth Duva 1897–1993, U.S. literary critic.
noun
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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
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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
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William . 1792–1829, Irish murderer and body snatcher; associate of William Hare
verb
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to murder in such a way as to leave no marks on the body, usually by suffocation
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to get rid of, silence, or suppress
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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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.