Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BURKIN' HOUSE, BURKING-, n. comb. A house used for dissections.ne.Sc. 1883–1886 D. Grant Chron. of Keckleton (1888) 34:
There's nae a cat nor a dog can gang in the direction o' the Back Lodge . . . that ever finds its way hame again; but it's weel kent where the puir brutes gang, even to Dr Lott's Burkin' House.Abd. 1870 W. Buchanan Olden Days in Aberdeen x.:
During the excitement . . . caused by the trial . . . of Burke in Edinburgh, in 1828, many stirring incidents took place . . . such as the destruction of the burking-house in St Andrew Street, and another in the Guestrow.
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"Burkin' House n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Jun 2023 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/burkin_house>
