burke
/bɝk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.87 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage; Slang
verb
To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage; Slang
name
A topographical surname from Anglo-Norman for someone who lived in a fortified place.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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!’"
- ""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 is some relation of theirs; but to think of his coming to the White Hart—it's no place for his doings, I can tell him: he sha'n't poison his wife in my house; out he goes this very night—I'll take the letter to him myself.""
- "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."
- "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"
Etymology
Word Breakdown
- Root: -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /bɝk/
- British English: /bɜːk/