[f. the name of persons who initiated the several practices.]

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  1.  trans. To file and tamper with the teeth of (a horse) so as to make him look young; to improve his appearance by deceptive arts.

2

1727.  [see BISHOPING2].

3

1840.  E. Napier, Scenes & Sp. For. Lands, I. v. 138. I found his teeth had been filed down and bishoped with the greatest neatness and perfection.

4

1884.  Illust. Lond. News, 23 Aug., 171/2. To bishop … a term … signifying the use of deceptive arts to make an old horse appear like a young one.

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  2.  To murder by drowning. [From one Bishop who, with a confederate, drowned a boy in Bethnal Green in 1831, in order to sell his body for dissection.] ? Obs.

6

1840.  Barham, Ingol. Leg., 201. I Burked the papa, now I’ll Bishop the son.

7

1864.  Athenæum, 559/1. We have ‘to Burke’ and ‘to Bishop.’

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