murder

• murther (obsolete)

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. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːdə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɝ.dɚ/
• Hyphenation: mur‧der

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)də(ɹ)

murder (countable and uncountable, plural murders)

1. (uncountable) The crime of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.

   The defendant was charged with 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.

   • 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.

   • 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.

   1. (uncountable, law, 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. (countable) The act of killing a person (or sometimes another being) unlawfully, especially with predetermination

   There have been ten unsolved murders this year alone.

   • 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.

   • 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.

   • 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.

   • 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.

   • 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.

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

   This headache is murder.

4. (countable, collective) A group of crows; the collective noun for crows.
   • 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.

5. (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!

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

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. (transitive, sports, figuratively, colloquial, hyperbolic) To defeat decisively.

   Our team is going to murder them.

3. (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!

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.

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

   I could murder a hamburger right now.

   • 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.

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

• murder one's darlings

• Jonathon Green (2024) “murder n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

• murred, redrum

From 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-Germanic *murþrą (“death, killing, murder”), from Proto-Indo-European *mrtro- (“killing”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer-, *mor-, *mr- (“to die”).

• Hyphenation: mur‧der

murder

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

murder

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