What does BURKE mean?

Parts of Speech: verb

Definitions: 1. to kill someone by suffocation or strangulation, especially for political reasons. 2. to suppress or get rid of something, especially by force or deception.

Pronunciations: US: /bərk/; UK: /bɜːk/

Origin and Usage: The word "burke" originated from the name of William Burke, an Irishman who was involved in a notorious murder case in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1828. Burke and his accomplice, William Hare, killed people and sold their bodies to an anatomy lecturer for dissection. The word "burke" became associated with their crimes and was later used to mean "to kill someone by suffocation or strangulation, especially for political reasons." The word has also been used to mean "to suppress or get rid of something, especially by force or deception."

Synonyms: strangle, choke, suppress, eliminate, get rid of

Related Words: choke, smother, stifle, quell, crush

Example Sentences:

• The dictator ordered his henchmen to burke all opposition to his regime.
• The journalist was threatened with being burked if she continued to report on the corruption scandal.
• The company tried to burke the negative reviews by paying people to write positive ones.