verb
burke
burk
verb
1
To kill someone by suffocation, especially in order to sell the body for dissection.
"The infamous pair would burke their victims and sell the corpses to anatomists."
2
To suppress or hush something up quietly.
"The scandal was quickly burked by those in charge."
How to Use Burke
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo smother someone to death (historically for profit), or to quietly bury/suppress an issue.
When to use it
Rare and mostly historical or literary usage today.
Word Forms
burked past tense, Burkes plural, burkes singular
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The infamous pair would _____ their victims and sell the corpses to anatomists.
Etymology
Named after William Burke, a 19th-century Edinburgh murderer who killed victims to sell their bodies to medical schools.