murderer

[ mur-der-er ]

noun

1. a person who commits murder.

Other Words From

• self-murder·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of murderer¹

1300–50; Middle English mortherer, mord ( e ) rer; murder, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. murderers' row,
   1. the row of cells in a prison where murderers and other violent or hard-core criminals are held. death row.
   2. Baseball. a succession of heavy hitters scheduled to bat one after the other.
   3. any group of notorious or important people:

      a murderers' row of talent;

      a murderers' row of philosophers.

Example Sentences

On the other end is “El Mal,” a driving condemnation of the terrible people — murderers, corrupt politicians — contributing to the onetime drug lord’s charity aiming to locate the remains of cartel victims.

From Los Angeles Times

"People who have committed heinous crimes - murderers, rapists, cannibals and paedophiles - they not only avoid punishment by going to war, the unprecedented bit is that they are being hailed as heroes."

From BBC

His mother, Mandy Lawrence, said: "My son has seen murderers come in and murderers go home again, and he's not a murderer. It's ridiculous."

From BBC

"My mother is finding it hard to accept the loss of such a close friend. The more I witness her grief, the more I resent the cold-bloodedness of the murderer," the person wrote.

From BBC

Shouts of "murderer" and "shame" were directed at the royal couple, Spain's prime minister and other leaders as they walked through the town of Paiporta - one of the worst-affected in the region.

From BBC

Related Words

• assassin
• executioner