Dictionary-Definition.com :: Murder definition

Definition of 'murder'

noun

Unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by a human being [syn: murder, slaying, execution]

verb

Kill intentionally and with premeditation; "The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered" [syn: murder, slay, hit, dispatch, bump off, off, polish off, remove]

verb

Alter so as to make unrecognizable; "The tourists murdered the French language" [syn: mangle, mutilate, murder]

From: GCIDE

Murder \Mur"der\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Murdered (m[^u]r"d[~e]rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Murdering.] [OE. mortheren, murtheren, AS. myr[eth]rian; akin to OHG. murdiren, Goth. ma['u]r[thorn]rjan. See Murder, n.]
1. To kill with premediated malice; to kill (a human being) willfully, deliberately, and unlawfully. See Murder, n. [1913 Webster]
2. To destroy; to put an end to. [1913 Webster]
[Canst thou] murder thy breath in middle of a word? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. To mutilate, spoil, or deform, as if with malice or cruelty; to mangle; as, to murder the king's English. [1913 Webster]
Syn: To kill; assassinate; slay. See Kill. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Murder \Mur"der\ (m[^u]r"d[~e]r), n. [OE. morder, morther, AS. mor[eth]or, fr. mor[eth] murder; akin to D. moord, OS. mor[eth], G., Dan., & Sw. mord, Icel. mor[eth], Goth. ma['u]r[thorn]r, OSlav. mr[=e]ti to die, Lith. mirti, W. marw dead, L. mors, mortis, death, mori, moriri, to die, Gr. broto`s (for mroto`s) mortal, 'a`mbrotos immortal, Skr. m[.r] to die, m[.r]ta death. [root]105. Cf. Amaranth, Ambrosia, Mortal.] The offense of killing a human being with malice prepense or aforethought, express or implied; intentional and unlawful homicide. "Mordre will out." --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
The killing of their children had, in the account of God, the guilt of murder, as the offering them to idols had the guilt of idolatry. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
Slaughter grows murder when it goes too far. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
Note: Murder in the second degree, in most jurisdictions, is a malicious homicide committed without a specific intention to take life. --Wharton. [1913 Webster]

Murder Wilful murder was distinguished from accidental homicide, and was invariably visited with capital punishment (Num. 35:16, 18, 21, 31; Lev. 24:17). This law in its principle is founded on the fact of man's having been made in the likeness of God (Gen. 9:5, 6; John 8:44; 1 John 3:12, 15). The Mosiac law prohibited any compensation for murder or the reprieve of the murderer (Ex. 21:12, 14; Deut. 19:11, 13; 2 Sam. 17:25; 20:10). Two witnesses were required in any capital case (Num. 35:19-30; Deut. 17:6-12). If the murderer could not be discovered, the city nearest the scene of the murder was required to make expiation for the crime committed (Deut. 21:1-9). These offences also were to be punished with death, (1) striking a parent; (2) cursing a parent; (3) kidnapping (Ex. 21:15-17; Deut. 27:16).