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

Speaking to Parliament's Constitution Committee on Wednesday morning, she said no parliamentarian should be "risking a contempt and the possibility of a murderer walking free".

From BBC

Public reaction to Mr Thompson's killing has shed light on privatised healthcare, and some have celebrated the accused murderer as a folk hero, with supporters gathering outside the courthouse during his hearings.

From BBC

The comments echoed earlier rebukes levelled at the UK, France and Canada, whom Netanyahu accused of siding with "mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers" in their calls for Palestinian statehood.

From BBC

The death penalty is part of it, but stomping on civil rights is at the heart of it — ruthlessly exploiting anxiety about crime to aim repression at whatever displeases him, from immigration protesters to murderers.

From Los Angeles Times

What’s important for our purposes is the motive of the accidental arsonist and intentional murderer.

From Salon

Related Words

• assassin 
• executioner