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murder

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Murder

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *mer-der.
Proto-Germanic *mŕ̥trom
Proto-Germanic *murþrą
Proto-West Germanic *morþr
Old English morþor
Middle English murthre
Middle English murder
English murder

    From Middle English murder, murdre, mourdre, alteration of earlier murthre (“murder”) (see murther), from Old English morþor (“secret slaying, unlawful killing”) and Old English myrþra (“murder, homicide”), both from Proto-West Germanic *morþr, from Proto-Germanic *murþrą (“death, killing, murder”), from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥tro- (“killing”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer-, *mor-, *mr̥- (“to die”). Akin to Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐍂 (maurþr, “murder”), Old High German mord (“murder”), Old Norse morð (“murder”), Old English myrþrian (“to murder”) and morþ.

    The -d- in the Middle English form may have been influenced in part by Anglo-Norman murdre, from Old French murdre, from Medieval Latin murdrum (whence the English doublet of murdrum), from Frankish *morþr, *murþr (“murder”), from the same Germanic root, though this may also have been wholly the result of internal development (compare burden, from burthen and spider, from spiþra).

    (crows): Attested at least since 1475. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    murder (countable and uncountable, plural murders)

    1. (countable) An act of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.
      Throwing that punch was a murder whether you meant for it to happen or not.
      There have been ten unsolved murders this year alone.
      How can you suspect me of murder?
      • 1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings:
        The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.
      • 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “"I feel like I have already been here a year"”, in The Vantage Point‎[1], Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 25:
        One of the most urgent tasks facing me after I assumed office was to assure the country that everything possible was being done to uncover the truth surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. John Kennedy had been murdered, and a troubled, puzzled, and outraged nation wanted to know the facts.
      • 1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings‎[2], New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 177:
        Life is cheap, never forget it. Corporations make marketing decisions by weighing the cost of being sued for your death against the cost of making the product safer. Your life is a factor in cost-effectiveness. So when you talk about murder, don't confine your discussion to individuals.
      • 1999 January 20, Anthony Horowitz et al., “Death's Shadow”, in Midsomer Murders:
        A murder? Well, thank goodness for that!
      • 2003, Paul Ruditis, Star Trek Voyager: Companion, →ISBN, page 131:
        Captain Sulu, who served under the legendary James T. Kirk for many years, disobeys Starfleet orders in order to try and help Kirk and another old shipmate, Dr. McCoy, who have been imprisoned for the murder of the Klingon chancellor.
      • 2007 May 17, “Suspect arrested in Nova Scotia gay murders”, in National Post‎[3], Toronto, Ont.: Postmedia Network Canada Corp., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 September 2009, retrieved 30 May 2007:
        An investigation into the murders of two gay men in Halifax has led authorities to the U.S.- Mexico border, where a 26-yearold[sic – meaning 26-year-old] man was arrested after a scuffle with a patrol agent who sezied[sic – meaning seized] a high-powered rifle from his backpack.
      • 2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎[4], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 September 2019:
        Reggie Clemons has one last chance to save his life. After 19 years on death row in Missouri for the murder of two young women, he has been granted a final opportunity to persuade a judge that he should be spared execution by lethal injection.
      1. (law, uncountable) The crime of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.
        The defendant was charged with murder.
        • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist‎[5], volume 408, number 8845, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 August 2013:
          Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. […] One thing that is true, though, is that murder rates have fallen over the centuries, as policing has spread and the routine carrying of weapons has diminished. Modern society may not have done anything about war. But peace is a lot more peaceful.
      2. (law, uncountable) Short for felony murder, the act of committing or abetting a crime that results in the killing of a person, regardless of intent, even if the perpetrator did not directly kill the victim.
        Both the arsonist and her partner were charged with murder, even though they had intended for it to be a victimless crime.
      3. (uncountable) The act of killing any being in an immoral manner; (countable) an instance of this.
        • 1984, Humphrey Carpenter, Mari Prichard, The Oxford companion to children's literature, page 275:
          It may be guessed, indeed, that this was the original form of the story, the fairy being the addition of those who considered Jack's thefts from (and murder of) the giant to be scarcely justified without her.
        • 2011, Carlene Brennen, Hemingway's Cats, →ISBN, page 161:
          Dr. Herrera also knew Hemingway had held Batista's army personally responsible for the brutal murders of his dogs, Blackie (Black Dog) and Machakos.
        Meat is murder.
      4. (nonstandard, by extension) Synonym of murderer , a person who has unlawfully killed another.
    2. (figurative)
      1. (uncountable, used as a predicative noun) Something difficult or terrible to endure.
        I heard this class is murder.
        This headache is murder.
      2. (dated slang) Something remarkable or impressive.
        • 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Tell a Green Man Something”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 3 (1928–1935: The Big Apple), page 230:
          Right quick another cat spoke up real loud, saying, “That’s murder man, really murder,” and his eyes were signifying too.
        • 1956, Cyril Hume, Forbidden Planet:
          Altaira Morbius: [swimming in a pool] Come on in.
          Commander Adams: I didn't bring my bathing suit.
          Altaira Morbius: What's a bathing suit?
          Commander Adams: [quickly turning his back] Oh, murder!
    3. (countable, collective) A flock of crows or sometimes ravens.
      A murder of crows dotted my backyard.
      Every morning we woke up to the squawking of what seemed like a hundred murders in the trees above our campsite.
      Near-synonyms: conspiracy, unkindness
      Hypernym: flock
      • 2010, Cristina Eisenberg, The Wolf's Tooth‎[6], Island Press:
        A murder of ravens scythed through the air , black arrows on a western trajectory toward the Flathead River .
      • 1995, Deepak Chopra, The Return of Merlin: A Novel, →ISBN, 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, page 76:
        Without the murder of crows roosting in its branches, Nevermore Tree looked as bare as a skeleton.
      • 2024, Rostam Pooladi-Darvish, Asha‎[7], Page Publishing, Incorporated, page 2:
        The murder flew away on a sunny May day deeper into the forest and decided to settle on beautiful jackfruit trees

    Synonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Collocations

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    Collocations

    Translations

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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Verb

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

    1. To illegally kill (a person or persons) with intent, especially with predetermination
      The woman found dead in her kitchen was murdered by her husband.
      • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “The Historie of Englande”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 26, columns 1–2:
        In the meane time it chaunced, that Marcus Papyrius ſtroke one of the Galles on the heade with his ſtaffe, because he preſumed to ſtroke his bearde: with whiche iniurie the Gaulle beeing prouoked, ſlue Papyrius (as he ſate) with hys ſworde, and therewith the ſlaughter being begun with one, all the reſidue of thoſe auncient fatherly men as they ſat in theyr Chayres were ſlaine and cruelly murthered.
    2. (colloquial, hyperbolic) To kill violently.
      My uncle’s dog murdered my cat.
    3. (transitive, sports, figuratively, colloquial, hyperbolic) To defeat decisively.
      Our team is going to murder them.
    4. (figuratively, colloquial, hyperbolic) 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. To botch or mangle.
      • 1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of Literary Curiosities‎[8], 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.
    6. (figuratively, colloquial, UK) To devour, ravish.
      I could murder a hamburger right now.

    Synonyms

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    Translations

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    Further reading

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    Anagrams

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    Cebuano

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    Etymology

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *mer-der.
    Proto-Germanic *mŕ̥trom
    Proto-Germanic *murþrą
    Proto-West Germanic *morþr
    Old English morþor
    Middle English murthre
    Middle English murder
    English murderder.
    Cebuano murder

      Derived from English murder.

      Pronunciation

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      • Hyphenation: mur‧der

      Verb

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      murder

      1. to murder; to deliberately kill
      2. (slang) to mispronounce or misspell a person's name

      Noun

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      murder

      1. an act of deliberate killing of another being, especially a human
      2. the crime of deliberate killing of another human
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