burke
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To murder by suffocation.
Register: slang
Examples
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!’
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
Meaning · English
To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “burke” mean?
To murder by suffocation.
Is “burke” formal or informal?
burke is generally slang.