burke

1. (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To murder by suffocation.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!’"AustraliaIrelandNew-ZealandUKslang

2. (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, slang, historical) To murder for the same purpose as Burke, to kill in order to have a body to sell to anatomists, surgeons, etc.Examples: ""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 doings, I can tell him: he sha'n't poison his wife in my house; out he goes this very night—I'll take the letter to him myself.""; "Perhaps he is Burked, and his body sold for nine pounds."; "‘You don’t mean to say he was burked, Sam?’ said Mr. Pickwick, looking hastily round."AustraliaIrelandNew-ZealandUKhistoricalslang

3. (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To smother; to conceal, hush up, suppress.Examples: "The reporters left it out... Those who spoke in favour of the poor men, were what the reporters call burked."; "He put away—burked—the Directors' letter, and went in to talk to Riley"; "Socrates and Plato burked the issue."AustraliaIrelandNew-ZealandUKslang