burke

[prettygoodword]

burke - v., to suppress or extinguish quietly, stifle; to kill without leaving a mark on the body, as by suffocation.


After William Burke (1792-1829), Irish-born grave robber and murderer who supplied unmarked bodies for dissection.

---L.

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Huh. I'd have given an entirely different definition: to shirk, to bunk off work.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

You know, I think I came across that sense, but only in one place I looked so I didn't include it. Silly me.

---L.