murder

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Under discussion.

The most plausible explanation is that “murder” originally signified death, and is cognate with Mord and mors.

According to one source, the word “murder” is:

From murdrum, which was the fine paid by the most local one hundred people to a murder victim when the murderer was unknown.

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[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈmɜːdə/, SAMPA: /"m3:d@/
• (US) IPA: /ˈmɝdɚ/, SAMPA: /"m3`d@`/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)də(r)

[edit] Noun

murder (plural murders)

1. (countable) An act of deliberate killing of another human being.

   There have been ten unsolved murders this year alone.

2. (uncountable) (law) The crime of deliberate killing.

   The defendant was charged with murder.

3. (uncountable) (When used as a predicative noun): Something terrible to endure.

   This headache is murder.

4. (countable) The collective noun for crows
   • 1995, Deepak Chopra, The Return of Merlin: A Novel, ISBN 0517598493, page 108:

     For his part, Melchior was growing unhappy with the murder of crows. They had been patiently following Arthur for hours, trailing him from town to country.

   • 2001, Daniel Handler, The Vile Village, ISBN 0064408655, page 76:

     Without the murder of crows roosting in its branches, Nevermore Tree looked as bare as a skeleton.

   • 2004, Incubus, A Crow Left of the Murder...,

     Out of line! Indivisable! A crow left of the murder!

[edit] Synonyms

• (act of deliberate killing): manslaughter, assassination
• (group of crows): flock

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to murder (third-person singular simple present murders, present participle murdering, simple past and past participle murdered)

1. To deliberately kill (a person or persons).
2. (transitive) (sports, figuratively, colloquial) To defeat decisively.

   Our team is going to murder them.

3. To botch or mangle
   • 1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of Literary Curiosities^[1], page 293:

     Dr. Caius, the Frenchman in the play, and Evans the Welshman, "Gallia et Guallia," succeed pretty well in their efforts to murder the language.

4. (figuratively, colloquial) To kick someone's ass or chew someone out (used to express one’s anger at somebody).

   He's torn my best shirt. When I see him, I'll murder him!

5. (figuratively, colloquial, British) to devour, ravish.

   I could murder a hamburger right now.

[edit] Synonyms

• (deliberately kill): assassinate, exterminate, kill, massacre, slaughter, homicide
• (defeat decisively): thrash, trounce, wipe the floor with
• (express one’s anger at): kill

[edit] Translations