murder
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈmɜːdə(ɹ)/
ipa: /ˈmɝ.dɚ/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)də(ɹ)
Forms: form: murders
form: murdering
form: murdered
form: murdered
form: murther
Etymology: 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).
(crows): Attested at least since 1475.
Senses: examples: text: The woman found dead in her kitchen was murdered by her husband.
text: 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.
ref: 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:
glosses: To illegally kill (a person or persons) with intent, especially with predetermination
examples: text: Our team is going to murder them.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To defeat decisively.
examples: text: He's torn my best shirt. When I see him, I'll murder him!
glosses: To kick someone's ass or chew someone out (used to express one’s anger at somebody).
examples: text: Dr. Caius, the Frenchman in the play, and Evans the Welshman, "Gallia et Guallia," succeed pretty well in their efforts to murder the language.
ref: 1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of Literary Curiosities, page 293:
glosses: To botch or mangle.
examples: text: I could murder a hamburger right now.
text: “Is that so? Well, I could murder a cup of tea,” said Auntie Flip.
ref: 2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
glosses: To devour, ravish.
Synonyms: sense: deliberately kill
word: assassinate
sense: deliberately kill
word: kill
sense: deliberately kill
word: massacre
sense: deliberately kill
word: slaughter
sense: deliberately kill
word: remove
sense: defeat decisively
word: thrash
sense: defeat decisively
word: trounce
sense: defeat decisively
word: wipe the floor with
sense: express one’s anger at
word: kill
Derived terms: murder one's darlings
unmurder