English

Proper noun

Burke

1. A topographical surname​ for someone who lived in a fortified place.
2. Any of various places in the United States.

Derived terms

• Burkean

Anagrams

• burek

German

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: Bur‧ke, plural: Bur·ken

Etymology 1

From Baltic German, from a Baltic language or Estonian (compare Estonian purk).

Noun

Burke f ‎(genitive Burke, plural Burken)

1. a glass container
   • 1869, J. F. Martenson, Archiv der Pharmacie, volume 19, page 206:

     Eine gläserne, grüne Burke von etwa 25 Pfd. Inhalt — Fig. 1

   • 1901, E. F. W. Pflüger, Archiv für die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere, volume 87, page 181:

     Man nimmt eine bestimmte Menge der Fermentlösung und ein bestimmtes Milchvolumen, füllt mit diesem Gemische ein gewöhnliches Reagenzglas, in welches ein Thermometer gestellt wird, und legt das Glas bei gewisser Temperatur in eine Burke mit Wasser.

   • 1909, Centralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde und Infektionskrankheiten, page 686:

     Trockene Aetzalkalien hebt man auf in einer Burke mit mit Vaseline eingeschmiertem [...]

Synonyms

• Glasgefäß

Etymology 2

From the same Urdu source as Burka.

Noun

Burke f ‎(genitive Burke, plural Burken)

1. a burka, a coat or veil worn by peoples in the Caucasus region
   • 1905 July 13, Globus: Illustrierte Zeitschrift für Länder- und Völkerkunde, volume 88, number 2, page 25:

     Von anderen Gebräuchen sei noch angeführt, daß die Osseten oftmals dem Verstorbenen ein Pferd, eine Burke (Filzrotunde) und andere Reiterutensilien weihen und das Pferd dreimal um das Grab herumführen.

English

Verb

burke ‎(third-person singular simple present burkes, present participle burking, simple past and past participle burked)

1. (Britain, 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!’

2. (Britain, slang, historical) To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
   • 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, Chapter 31:

     ‘You don’t mean to say he was burked, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round.

3. (Britain, 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, "A Bank Fraud," Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, page 128:

     He put away—burked—the Directors' letter, and went in to talk to Riley

   1953, Robert Graves, Poems, 4

   Socrates and Plato burked the issue.

Related terms

• To bishop

Noun

burke ‎(plural burkes)

1. (Britain, slang) Variant spelling of berk.

Anagrams

• burek