burke

verb

ˈbərk

burked; burking

: to suppress quietly or indirectly

burke an inquiry

: bypass, avoid

burke an issue

the executives knew that the drug had dangerous side effects, but they burked the findings

Etymology

from burke to suffocate, from William Burke †1829 Irish criminal executed for smothering victims to sell their bodies for dissection

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of burke was in 1835

See more words from the same year

Style

“Burke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burke. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Burke

ˈbərk

Edmund 1729–1797 British statesman and orator

Burkean adjective

or Burkian

ˈbər-kē-ən

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