homicide

[ hom-uh-sahyd, hoh-muh- ]
See synonyms for homicide on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the killing of one human being by another.

  2. a person who kills another; murderer.

Origin of homicide

1
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin homicīdium “a killing,” homicīda “killer,” equivalent to homi- (combining form of homō “man”) + -cīdium, -cīda, noun suffix; see -cide

Other words from homicide

  • self-hom·i·cide, noun

Words that may be confused with homicide

Words Nearby homicide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use homicide in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for homicide

homicide

/ (ˈhɒmɪˌsaɪd) /


noun
  1. the killing of a human being by another person

  2. a person who kills another

Origin of homicide

1
C14: from Old French, from Latin homo man + caedere to slay

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

Cultural definitions for homicide

homicide

[ (hom-uh-seyed) ]


The killing of one person by another, whether intended (murder) or not (manslaughter). Not all homicide is unlawful; killing in self-defense, for example, is not a crime.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.