killer

[ kil-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that kills. kill.
2. killer whale.
3. a device used by a post office for printing cancellations on postage stamps.
4. a mark of cancellation made on a postage stamp.
5. Slang. something or someone having a formidable impact, devastating effect, etc.:

   The math test was a real killer.

adjective

, Slang.

1. severe; powerful:

   a killer cold.

2. very difficult or demanding:

   a killer chess tournament.

3. highly effective; superior:

   a killer recipe for fried chicken.

killer

/ ˈkɪlə /

noun

1. 1. a person or animal that kills, esp habitually
   2. ( as modifier )

      a killer shark

2. something, esp a task or activity, that is particularly taxing or exhausting
3. an animal selected to be slaughtered for food

Other Words From

• self-killer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of killer¹

First recorded in 1525–35; kill ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The father of young woman shot dead on Christmas Eve said the early release of her killer's accomplice due to prison overcrowding "makes a mockery" of justice.

From BBC

“If you have a guy who is going to be angry about immigration, have a killer offering reasons for shooting up immigrants,” he asked, “how could he not use reasons that have already been articulated by legitimate sources?”

From Salon

“That sequence was killer funny,” says Danson, who watched the picture with his wife, actor Mary Steenburgen.

From Los Angeles Times

Paul tried to goad Tyson by asking him about comments made in a documentary where the former champion described himself as "natural born killer".

From BBC

Pancreatic cancer, known as the “silent killer,” is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths and accounted for 8% of cancer deaths this year, according to statistics from the National Institutes of Health.

From Los Angeles Times