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killer
[ kil-er ]
noun
- a device used by a post office for printing cancellations on postage stamps.
- a mark of cancellation made on a postage stamp.
- Slang. something or someone having a formidable impact, devastating effect, etc.:
The math test was a real killer.
adjective
- severe; powerful:
a killer cold.
- very difficult or demanding:
a killer chess tournament.
- highly effective; superior:
a killer recipe for fried chicken.
killer
/ ˈkɪlə /
noun
- a person or animal that kills, esp habitually
- ( as modifier )
a killer shark
- something, esp a task or activity, that is particularly taxing or exhausting
- an animal selected to be slaughtered for food
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Other Words From
- self-killer noun
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Example Sentences
You go on Netflix and the most highly watched shows are the ones that are unsolved mysteries, or this serial-killer profile.
We do not, for instance, see killer whale pods where females learn special behaviors only from females, and pass these on only to other females.
Of 99 observed deaths, 21 could be attributed to infanticide, always by female killers.
The ichthyosaur could have injured its neck while holding the thalattosaur in its jaws and thrashing its head, which is how crocodiles and killer whales rip up their food without particularly sharp teeth.
The immune responses they produced in the treated volunteers suggest a vaccine to protect people against the killer virus might be close.
Barry showed me his room—a one bedroom with a killer view of Riverbank State Park and the Hudson.
The would-be pope killer loves to be in front of the cameras, and the press in Italy is happy to oblige.
By Jerome Groopman, New Yorker Researchers get closer to outwitting a killer.
They waved down a pair of responding cops who followed the alleged cop killer into the subway.
In the course of his confession, he supplied details that should only have been known to the killer.
But the knife and the thin, dirty fingers of the killer did not permit his body to alter its position.
The killer walked to the bushes at the west side of the gate, parted the branches with his dirty fingers.
His gloved fingers closed on Squid Murphy and the killer called Shiv simultaneously.
I'm staying here because if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to convince you that I'm not a killer.
Watch now for the glowing hands of the killer—the man who has been impersonating the Eye ever since Carlson was killed.
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More About Killer
What is a basic definition of killer?
A killer is a person or thing that kills, meaning they end lives. Killer is also used in slang to mean something that is devastating or exhausting. Additionally, killer is used in slang to describe something as severe or powerful. Killer has several other meanings as a noun and an adjective.
A person or thing that ends someone’s life is a killer. In terms of a person, killer is often used interchangeably with murderer. However, killer can refer to someone who killed another person by accident, while murderer is not used in that sense.
- Real-life examples: John Wilkes Booth was Abraham Lincoln’s killer. Jack the Ripper was an infamous killer. Bacteria and viruses often act as natural killers. People use weed killers on their lawns.
- Used in a sentence: My cat is a very effective killer of birds.
In slang, killer is used to describe something as causing stress, exhaustion, pain, or misery.
- Real-life examples: You might call a particularly hard test a killer test. A killer workout would push your body to the limits of its abilities.
- Used in a sentence: That history assignment turned out to be a killer and took me forever to finish.
In slang, killer is also used to describe something as severe, intense, or powerful.
- Real-world examples: You might call a baseball game that goes into extra innings with a 2–2 score, a killer game. If you come down with a severe cold that keeps you in bed for several days, you could call it a killer cold.
- Used in a sentence: After living abroad for five years, Michelle came down with a killer case of homesickness.
Where does killer come from?
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to killer?
- self-killer (noun)
What are some synonyms for killer?
What are some words that share a root or word element with killer?
What are some words that often get used in discussing killer?
How is killer used in real life?
Killer is a common word that refers to people or things that end lives. It is also used in several slang senses.
The family of Helen McCourt have told Sky News they are pursuing a judicial review in relation to the decision to release her killer Ian Simms from prison
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) January 9, 2020
Working on names for this weekend's killer snowstorm: Snowmagilla. Snowgantua. Snowmongous. Snow's Your Old Man. The Great A-Flakening…
— John Kelly (@JohnKelly) January 19, 2016
I'm experiencing a Web Developer rite of passage:
I have a killer idea for a CMS 😆
— Hashim Warren 🌄 (@hashim_warren) June 3, 2020
Try using killer!
Is killer used correctly in the following sentence?
The detectives determined that the killer used a baseball bat as a weapon in every murder.
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