Word: kill Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English killen, kyllen, cüllen (“to strike, beat, cut”), of obscure origin. Cognate with Scots kele, keil (“to kill”). * Perhaps from unattested Old English *cyllan, from Proto-West Germanic *kwulljan, from Proto-Germanic *kwuljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to throw, hit, hurt by throwing”). * Or, possibly a variant of Old English cwellan (“to kill, murder, execute”) (see quell). * Or, from Old Norse kolla (“to hit on the head, harm”), related to Norwegian kylla (“to poll”), Middle Dutch kollen (“to knock down”), Icelandic kollur (“top, head”); see also coll, cole). Compare also Saterland Frisian källe (“to hurt”), Middle Dutch kellen (“to kill, hurt”), Middle Low German kellen, killen (“to ache strongly, cause one great pain”) (whence German Low German kellen, killen (“to hurt, injure, torment, vex”)), Middle High German kellen (“to torment; torture”). Pronunciation: /ˈkɪl/, [ˈkʰɪɫ], /ˈkɪʊ̯/, [ˈkʰɪʊ̯], /ˈkɪɤ̯/ 1. To put to death; to extinguish the life of. Labels: transitive Example: Smoking kills more people each year than alcohol and hard drugs combined. Example: A Troope of Horſe with Felt: Ile put't in proofe, / And when I haue ſtolne vpon theſe Son in Lawes, / Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill. 2. To render inoperative. Labels: transitive Example: He killed the engine and turned off the headlights, but remained in the car, waiting. Example: He killed the motor. 3. To stop, cease, or render void; to terminate. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: The editor decided to kill the story. Example: The news that a hurricane had destroyed our beach house killed our plans to sell it. 4. To amaze, exceed, stun, or otherwise incapacitate. Labels: excessive, figuratively, transitive Example: That night, she was dressed to kill. Example: That joke always kills me. 5. To cause great pain, discomfort, or distress to; to hurt. Labels: excessive, figuratively, intransitive, transitive Example: These tight shoes are killing my feet. Example: You don't ever want to get rabies. The doctor will have to give you multiple shots and they really kill. 6. To produce feelings of dissatisfaction or revulsion in. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: It kills me to throw out three whole turkeys, but I can't get anyone to take them and they've already started to go bad. Example: It kills me to learn how many poor people are practically starving in this country while rich moguls spend such outrageous amounts on useless luxuries. 7. To use up or to waste. Labels: transitive Example: I'm just doing this to kill time. Example: Except for the shirt, which he’d worn, and the check, which he’d cashed, and the bottle of port, which he’d killed in bed on Christmas night, the gifts from his family were still on the floor of his bedroom. 8. To overpower, overwhelm, or defeat. Labels: figuratively, informal, transitive Example: Look at the amount of destruction to the enemy base. We pretty much killed their ability to retaliate. Example: The team had absolutely killed their traditional rivals, and the local sports bars were raucous with celebrations. 9. To force a company out of business. Labels: transitive 10. To punish severely. Labels: excessive, figuratively, informal, transitive Example: My parents are going to kill me! Example: "Father will kill us for this." 11. To strike (a ball, etc.) with such force and placement as to make a shot that is impossible to defend against, usually winning a point. Labels: transitive Example: That close call encouraged Wales to launch another series of attacks that ended when lock Louis Deacon killed the ball illegally in the shadow of England's posts. 12. To cause (a ball, etc.) to be out of play, resulting in a stoppage of gameplay. Labels: transitive Example: As the ball was delivered deep into St Kilda's forward line by Billings, Bontempelli had position on the goal line, with a pack forming in front of him. He decided to fly but didn't kill the ball, leaving it to spill where he had been positioned moments earlier. Jack Sinclair gratefully swooped and kicked a goal that cut the margin to five points. 13. To succeed with an audience, especially in comedy. Example: When comics fail, they "die"; when they succeed, they "kill." Example: You really killed it at the Comedy Store last night. 14. To cause to assume the value zero. Labels: informal, transitive 15. To disconnect (a user) involuntarily from the network. Labels: Internet, transitive 16. To deadmelt. 17. To sexually penetrate in a skillful way. Labels: slang Example: I felt on her big fat fanny Pulled out the jammy and killed the punanni 18. To exert oneself to an excessive degree. Labels: informal, reflexive Example: Don't kill yourself raking the leaves now; we're due for a windstorm tonight.