burking

Verb

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

1. (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, slang) To murder by suffocation.
   • 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!’1829 February 2, Times (London), 3/5
2. (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, historical, slang) To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.
   • "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...1832, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, The Keepsake 1833, One Peep was Enough, pages 303–304
3. (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, slang) To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.
   • The reporters left it out... Those who spoke in favour of the poor men, were what the reporters call burked.1835, J. A. Roebuck, Dorchester Labourers, 6/1 (note)

See all 13 meanings of burke