murther

Noun

murder (countable and uncountable, plural murders)

1. (countable) An act of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.
   • Throwing that punch was a murder whether you meant for it to happen or not.
   1. (uncountable) The crime of killing a person unlawfully, especially with predetermination.
      • The defendant was charged with murder.
   2. (uncountable) The act of killing any being in an immoral manner; (countable) an instance of this.
      • 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.1984, Humphrey Carpenter, Mari Prichard, The Oxford companion to children's literature, page 275
   3. (broadly, nonstandard) Synonym of murderer , a person who has unlawfully killed another.
2. (figuratively, uncountable) Something difficult or terrible to endure.
   • I heard this class is murder.
3. (dated, figuratively, slang) Something remarkable or impressive.
   • Right quick another cat spoke up real loud, saying, “That’s murder man, really murder,” and his eyes were signifying too.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

See all 14 meanings of murder