Burke - What does it mean?
burke | |
has no English definition.
(UK, slang) To murder in the same manner as Burke, to kill by suffocation
*1829 February 2 , Times (London), 3/5
*: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!’
(UK, slang, historical) To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons,
*1833 , T. Hook, Parson's Daughter , II. i. 26
*:Perhaps he is Burked , and his body sold for nine pounds.
*1836 , Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers , :
(UK, slang) To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
*1835 , J. A. Roebuck. Dorchester Labourers , 6/1 (note)
*:The reporters left it out... Those who spoke in favour of the poor men, were what the reporters call burked .
* 1888 , Rudyard Kipling, Plain Tales from the Hills , Folio 2005, page 128:
:1953 , (Robert Graves), Poems , 4
::Socrates and Plato burked the issue.
is likely misspelled.
has no English definition.
As a verb burke
is to murder in the same manner as Burke, to kill by suffocation.As a noun burke
is variant spelling of berk.As a proper noun Burke
is {{surname|topographical|from=Anglo-Norman}} for someone who lived in a fortified place.burke
English
Verb
(burk)- ‘You don’t mean to say he was burked , Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round.
- He put away—burked —the Directors' letter, and went in to talk to Riley
