1. a person who suppresses or stifles something, such as a discussion, idea, or reform
Usage: often used in political or social contexts; derived from William Burke, an 18th-century criminal
2. a person who murders by suffocation, especially to sell the body for dissection
Usage: archaic; historical reference to William Burke and William Hare

Examples

• The senator was accused of being a burker of progressive legislation.
• Critics called him a burker of free speech for his censorship policies.
• The committee's burker tactics prevented the reform from moving forward.
• She refused to be a burker of innovation in her company.
• The burker of the investigation delayed the truth from emerging.