from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
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2. To destroy; to put an end to.
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[Canst thou] murder thy breath in middle of a word?
--Shak.
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3. To mutilate, spoil, or deform, as if with malice or
cruelty; to mangle; as, to murder the king's English.
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Syn: To kill; assassinate; slay. See {Kill}.
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