burke
verb (used with object)
to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.
Showing results for burke.
Search instead for
yurked.
burke
1 American
[burk]
/ bɜrk /
verb (used with object)
burked,
burking
-
to murder, as by suffocation, so as to leave no or few marks of violence.
-
to suppress or get rid of by some indirect maneuver.
Burke
2
American
[burk]
/ bɜrk /
noun
-
Billie Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke, 1886–1970, U.S. actress.
-
Edmund, 1729–97, Irish statesman, orator, and writer.
-
Kenneth Duva 1897–1993, U.S. literary critic.
Burke
1
British
/ bɜːk /
noun
-
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
-
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
-
William . 1792–1829, Irish murderer and body snatcher; associate of William Hare
burke
2
British
/ bɜːk /
verb
-
to murder in such a way as to leave no marks on the body, usually by suffocation
-
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.
See Examples For:
There is no need for me to burke the words.
From The Record of Nicholas Freydon An Autobiography by A. J. (Alec John) Dawson
Little joy would you have had in most that has befallen since the Reform Bill was passed, to the chivalrous cry of "burke Sir Walter."
From Letters to Dead Authors by Andrew Lang
Better perhaps not to burke the matter that she knew was on his mind.
From The Thousandth Woman by Ernest W. Hornung
Confound the greedy hypocrite!" said Bob; "does he think we shall let him burke the line for nothing?
From Stories by English Authors: Scotland (Selected by Scribners) by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie
He had been sure then, and he was sure now, that Ministers desired to burke the question, to deceive the people, to produce a bill that should be no bill.
From Phineas Finn The Irish Member by Anthony Trollope
Washington played Dr. Preston Burke on “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2005 but was nixed from the medical drama in 2007 after an on-set spat with co-star Patrick Dempsey, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Mr. Grant, the founder and editor of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer, is the author of “Friends Until the End: Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox in the Age of Revolution.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
When Sean Burke and Alyse Stanley bought their first home in Rockford, Ill., in October 2023, the average 30-year mortgage rate had just crossed 8%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
However, hearing chairman Iain Burke said the incidents were a "significant abuse of trust and power" for which she had shown no insight or remorse.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Billy Martin was the manager of the Oakland A’s when Glenn Burke played for them,” I say.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
They burked the challenge then; their half measures of diplomatic ostracism only strengthened Franco with his own people.
From Time Magazine Archive
Between you and Mr. Theydon, the work of my department has been hindered and burked most scandalously.
From Number Seventeen by Louis Tracy
But this proposal by no means suited his ardent backers-up, who looked upon the whole affair as providential, and by no means to be burked.
From Follow My leader The Boys of Templeton by W. S. (Walter S.) Stacey
One or two motions for amnesty were burked by the previous question.
From History of the Commune of 1871 by P. Lissagary
‘There,’ says I to the people, ‘don’t you make no mistake: I ain’t burked the gent as took it into his head to dress up and come to see—’ But there!
From A Little World by George Manville Fenn
For there is no burking the truth that in many respects the American woman carries about her a peculiar charm ungranted as yet to her European sisters.
From Post-Prandial Philosophy by Grant Allen
It was a singular fact that the really effective means of burking inquiry by the local authorities only occurred to Armathwaite's perplexed brain as he was hurrying back to the Grange.
From The House 'Round the Corner by Louis Tracy
"I'm not even allowed to weed my own garden now," John thought, burking the point at issue; and his disillusionment became so profound that he actually invited Harold to go for a walk with him.
From Poor Relations by Compton MacKenzie
Macdonald's motion provoked charges of burking free discussion, and counter-charges of obstruction, want of patriotism and inclinations towards annexation.
From George Brown by John Lewis
I encounter a Vagualame disguised, who runs as if all the devils of hell were after him ... who makes off with extraordinary agility, whose presence of mind in burking pursuit is marvellous!...
From A Nest of Spies by Marcel Allain
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
