fratricide

American  

[fra-tri-sahyd] / ˈfræ trɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's brother or a member of one’s own tribe or group.

2. a person who kills their brother or a member of their own tribe or group.

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fratricide British  

/ ˈfreɪ-, ˈfrætrɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's brother

2. a person who kills his brother

3. military the destruction of or interference with a nuclear missile before it can strike its target caused by the earlier explosion of a warhead at a nearby target

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Other Word Forms

• fratricidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of fratricide

First recorded in 1490–1500; fratricide ( def. 1 ) from Middle French, from Late Latin frātricīdium, equivalent to frātricīd(a) frātri- (combining form of frāter ) brother + -cīda -cide + -ium noun suffix; fratricide ( def. 2 ) from Middle French, from frātricīda

Example Sentences

Although he agreed they were a "de-confliction measure to help prevent fratricide - or friendly fire - incidents".

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2022

Indeed, the Forbes critic called this fratricide scene "a totally pointless subplot that achieves nothing and only serves to confuse us in the end."

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2021

Susan Feldman, the founder and artistic director of the theatre, first saw Walsh’s fratricide comedy, “The Walworth Farce,” which had been commissioned by the Druid Theatre, in Galway, in 2008.

From The New Yorker • May 22, 2017

A seedling's growth is portrayed as fratricide as it sees off its siblings.

From Nature • Sep. 13, 2016

Lourdes buys a round box of sticky dates and considers the centuries of fratricide converging on this street comer in Brooklyn.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García