“murder” – English explanatory dictionary

noun 1. the act of deliberately killing someone ○ The murder was committed during the night. ○ She was accused of murder. ○ They denied the murder charge. Compare manslaughter 2. a difficult situation ○ It was sheer murder getting to work this morning. ■ verb to kill someone deliberately ○ He was accused of murdering a policeman.

(mûr´der), n. [OE. morder, morther, AS. morðor, fr. morð murder; akin to D. moord, OS. morð, G., Dan., & Sw. mord, Icel. morð, Goth. maúrþr, OSlav. mreti to die, Lith. mirti, W. marw dead, L. mors, mortis, death, mori, moriri, to die, Gr. broto•s (for mroto•s) mortal, ’a•mbrotos immortal, Skr. mr to die, mrta death. rad.105. Cf. Amaranth, Ambrosia, Mortal.] The offense of killing a human being with malice prepense or aforethought, express or implied; intentional and unlawful homicide. ´Mordre will out.´ Chaucer. “The killing of their children had, in the account of God, the guilt of murder, as the offering them to idols had the guilt of idolatry.” Locke. “Slaughter grows murder when it goes too far.” Dryden. Murder in the second degree, in most jurisdictions, is a malicious homicide committed without a specific intention to take life. Wharton.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. Murdered p. pr. & vb. n. Murdering.] [OE. mortheren, murtheren, AS. myrðrian; akin to OHG. murdiren, Goth. maúrþrjan. See Murder, n.]
1. To kill with premediated malice; to kill (a human being) willfully, deliberately, and unlawfully. See Murder, n.
2. To destroy; to put an end to. “[Canst thou] murder thy breath in middle of a word?” Shak.
3. To mutilate, spoil, or deform, as if with malice or cruelty; to mangle; as to murder the king’s English. Syn. — To kill; assassinate; slay. See Kill.