Alternative forms

• murther (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#MURDERCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#MURDER murder, murdre, mourdre, alteration of earlier murthre (“murder”) (see murther), from Old EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Old English#MURDERCategory:English terms derived from Old English#MURDER morþor (“secret slaying, unlawful killing”) and Old English myrþra (“murder, homicide”), both from Proto-West GermanicCategory:English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic#MURDERCategory:English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic#MURDER *morþr, from Proto-GermanicCategory:English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic#MURDERCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Germanic#MURDER *murþrą (“death, killing, murder”), from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#MURDER *mr̥tro- (“killing”), from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#MURDER *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 murdrumCategory:English doublets#MURDER), from Frankish *morþr, *murþr (“murder”), from the same GermanicCategory:English terms derived from Germanic languages#MURDER root, though this may also have been wholly the result of internal development (compare burden, from burthen).

(crows): Attested at least since 1475. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)Category:Requests for etymologies in English entries#MURDER

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːdə(ɹ)/Category:English 2-syllable words#MURDERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#MURDER

• Audio (UK):

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  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#MURDER
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɝ.dɚ/Category:English 2-syllable words#MURDERCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#MURDER

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#MURDER

• Audio (Southern England):

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  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#MURDER
• Hyphenation: mur‧der
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)də(ɹ)Category:Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)də(ɹ)#MURDERCategory:Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)də(ɹ)/2 syllables#MURDER

Noun

murder (countable and uncountable, plural murders)Category:English lemmas#MURDERCategory:English nouns#MURDERCategory:English uncountable nouns#MURDERCategory:English countable nouns#MURDERCategory:English countable nouns#MURDERCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#MURDERCategory:Pages with entries#MURDERCategory:Pages with 2 entries#MURDER

1. (uncountableCategory:English uncountable nouns#MURDER) The crime of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.

   The defendant was charged with murder.Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

   • 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “"I feel like I have already been here a year"”, in The Vantage Point‎, Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 25:

     One of the most urgent tasks facing me after 1 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:

     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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   1. (uncountableCategory:English uncountable nouns#MURDER, lawCategory:en:Law#MURDER, in jurisdictions which use the felony murder rule) The act of committing or abetting a crime that results in the killing of a person, regardless of intent, and even if the committer or abettor is not the one who killed the person: felony murder.
2. (countableCategory:English countable nouns#MURDER) The act of killing a person (or sometimes another being) unlawfully, especially with predetermination

   There have been ten unsolved murders this year alone.Category:English terms with usage examples#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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

     Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned
   • 1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings‎, 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

3. (uncountableCategory:English uncountable nouns#MURDER, used as a predicative noun) Something terrible to endure.

   This headache is murder.Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

4. Category:English collective nouns#MURDER(countableCategory:English countable nouns#MURDER, collectiveCategory:English collective nouns#MURDER) A group of crows; the collective noun for crows.

   Coordinate terms: flock, conspiracy, unkindness

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

5. (datedCategory:English dated terms#MURDER slangCategory:English slang#MURDER) 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

   • 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!

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

6. (nonstandardCategory:English nonstandard terms#MURDER) a murderer

Verb

murder (third-person singular simple present murders, present participle murdering, simple past and past participle murdered)Category:English lemmas#MURDERCategory:English verbs#MURDERCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#MURDERCategory:Pages with entries#MURDERCategory:Pages with 2 entries#MURDER

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.Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

2. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#MURDER, sportsCategory:en:Sports#MURDER, figuratively, colloquialCategory:English colloquialisms#MURDER, hyperbolicCategory:English hyperboles#MURDER) To defeat decisively.

   Our team is going to murder them.Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

3. (figuratively, colloquialCategory:English colloquialisms#MURDER, hyperbolicCategory:English hyperboles#MURDER) 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!Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

4. To botch or mangle.
   • 1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of Literary Curiosities‎, 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

5. (figuratively, colloquialCategory:English colloquialisms#MURDER, BritishCategory:British English#MURDER) To devour, ravish.

   I could murder a hamburger right now.Category:English terms with usage examples#MURDER

   • 2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

     “Is that so? Well, I could murder a cup of tea,” said Auntie Flip.

     Category:English terms with quotations#MURDER

Further reading

• “murder n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present.

Anagrams

• murred, redrum

Etymology

From EnglishCategory:Cebuano terms derived from English#MURDER murder.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: mur‧der

Verb

murderCategory:Cebuano lemmas#MURDERCategory:Cebuano verbs#MURDERCategory:Cebuano entries with incorrect language header#MURDERCategory:Pages with entries#MURDERCategory:Pages with 2 entries#MURDER

1. to murder; to deliberately kill
2. (slangCategory:Cebuano slang#MURDER) to mispronounce or misspell a person's name

Noun

murderCategory:Cebuano lemmas#MURDERCategory:Cebuano nouns#MURDERCategory:Cebuano entries with incorrect language header#MURDERCategory:Pages with entries#MURDERCategory:Pages with 2 entries#MURDER

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