assassin

[ uh-sas-in ]

/ əˈsæs ɪn /

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noun

a murderer, especially one who kills a politically prominent person for fanatical or monetary reasons.

(initial capital letter) one of an order of Muslim fanatics, active in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1272, whose chief object was to assassinate Crusaders.

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Origin of assassin

1525–35; <Medieval Latin assassinī (plural) <Arabic ḥashshāshīn eaters of hashish

Words nearby assassin

assail, assailant, Assam, Assamese, Assam States, assassin, assassinate, assassination, assassin bug, assassin fly, Assateague Island

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use assassin in a sentence

Throughout the 1970s, its hallways swarmed with traffickers, assassins and celebrities.
Florida Like You’ve Never Seen It|Stephen Starr|August 27, 2021|Ozy
The assassins on boda-bodas easily disappear after eliminating their targets.
Uganda’s popular boda-bodas are now part of the government’s surveillance system|Stephen Kafeero|August 6, 2021|Quartz
He’s a capable assassin with such calm composure you’d never realize he’s dying from a disease.
Every ‘Mass Effect’ squadmate, ranked from a storytelling perspective|Jhaan Elker|June 4, 2021|Washington Post
She takes the boy under her wing and the two struggle to survive as assassins close in, setting the surrounding forest ablaze.
The Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2021|Peter Allen Clark|May 12, 2021|Time

Spymasters give clues that lead their teams through a minefield of words that belong to the opposing teams and the dreaded assassin.
37 Gifts to Buy This Mother's Day for Every Type of Mom in Your Life|Melissa Locker|May 3, 2021|Time
But the current pontiff, for reasons one might fully understand, declined to meet the would-be papal assassin.
Pope-Shooter Ali Agca’s Very Weird Vatican Visit|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was no assassin but despite the overwhelming presence of troops and FBI agents, violent incidents still occurred.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era|Gary May|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He karate-chops a final stray assassin, then they exchange vows.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Got Married and We’re Worried About Jennifer Aniston|Kevin Fallon, Tim Teeman|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Early scenes show her in an all-white suit, ambushing an assassin.
The CIA Spook Turned Comic Book Scribe: Robin Grabs a Gun in ‘Grayson’|Rich Goldstein|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, every Assassin's Creed game—aside from a small segment of one—has had a man as its center.
Video Games Need More Than Damsels and Dames|Tauriq Moosa|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He received the blow on his arm, grappled with the assassin, and throwing him on the ground despatched him with his own dagger.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Then, after all the inquiries you instituted, you were really unable to point to the actual assassin?
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
If you are so certain that Enid Orlebar is implicated in the affair, if not the actual assassin, why don't you interrogate her?
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
The assassin gallops away upon his mare, and seeks by night to cross the Rhone.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer
Yes, with the eyes of a veritable assassin, for at that moment M. Joyeuse is dreaming a terrible dream.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet

British Dictionary definitions for assassin (1 of 2)

assassin

/ (əˈsæsɪn) /

noun

a murderer, esp one who kills a prominent political figure

Word Origin for assassin

C16: from Medieval Latin assassīnus, from Arabic hashshāshīn, plural of hashshāsh one who eats hashish

British Dictionary definitions for assassin (2 of 2)

Assassin

/ (əˈsæsɪn) /

noun

a member of a secret sect of Muslim fanatics operating in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1256, murdering their victims, usually Crusaders

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

assassin

Origin of assassin

Words nearby assassin

Words related to assassin

How to use assassin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for assassin (1 of 2)

Word Origin for assassin

British Dictionary definitions for assassin (2 of 2)