1. Plural of burkite; followers or supporters of Edmund Burke, an 18th-century Irish-British political philosopher and statesman.
Usage: historical; often capitalized
2. A rare mineral composed of calcium sulfate and carbonate, named after the geologist John Burke.
Usage: mineralogy; technical

Examples

• The burkites of the 18th century admired Burke's conservative political philosophy.
• Burke's followers, known as burkites, influenced British political thought for generations.
• Mineralogists identified burkites in the rock samples collected from the excavation site.
• The debate between burkites and their opponents shaped modern political discourse.
• Specimens of burkite are relatively rare and valued by mineral collectors.