/bɜː(ɹ)k/
OriginEponymous, from William Burke.
- Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, slangTo 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!’”
- Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, historicalTo 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 ”
“Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds.”
“‘You don’t mean to say he was burked, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round.”
- Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, slangTo 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”
“Socrates and Plato burked the issue.”
- countable, uncountableA topographical surname from Anglo-Norman for someone who lived in a fortified place.
- countable, uncountableA ghost town in Shoshone County, Idaho.
- countable, uncountableA town and village therein, in Franklin County, New York.
- countable, uncountableA small city, the county seat of Gregory County, South Dakota.
- countable, uncountableA minor city in Angelina County, Texas.
- countable, uncountableA town in Caledonia County, Vermont, named after Edmund Burke.
- countable, uncountableA census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia.
- countable, uncountableAn unincorporated community in Grant County, Washington.
- countable, uncountableA town and unincorporated community therein, in Dane County, Wisconsin, named after Edmund Burke.
- countable, uncountableA local government area in north-west Queensland, Australia, named after Robert O'Hara Burke; in full, the Shire of Burke.
Formsburkes(present, singular, third-person) · burking(participle, present) · burked(participle, past) · burked(past) · Burkes(plural) · de Burgh(alternative) · Burgh(alternative) · Bourke(alternative) · Burgo(alternative) · Burk(alternative) · de Burgo(alternative) · de Búrca(alternative)
Source: Wiktionary