murderer

[mur-der-er]

noun

1. a person who commits murder.

Other Word Forms

• self-murderer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of murderer¹

1300–50; Middle English mortherer, mord ( e ) rer; murder, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. murderers' row,

   1. the row of cells in a prison where murderers and other violent or hard-core criminals are held.

   2. Baseball. a succession of heavy hitters scheduled to bat one after the other.

   3. any group of notorious or important people.

      a murderers' row of talent;

      a murderers' row of philosophers.

Example Sentences

He said the Croatian journalist was trying to "present me as a monster, as an inhuman, as someone who not only has no emotions, but is a cold-blooded murderer".

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That case, brought before DNA testing was widely available, was enough to convince a jury at Liverpool Crown Court - and on 5 November 1987 he went from a self-confessed "petty thief" to a convicted murderer.

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Sure, he didn’t look like a murderer, but then again, who did?

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A convicted murderer in the state of Victoria has sued the prisons commissioner over his lack of access to the quintessentially Australian condiment.

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A convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Australia is challenging a ban on prisoners consuming Vegemite - the polarising, salty spread that has become a national symbol.

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Related Words

• assassin 
• executioner