murder, morder, mordre, morthre, murther

[A. S. mordhor, mordhur; cogn. with Goth. maurthr; O. Sax. & A. S. mordh =death; O. Fries. morth, mord; Ger. mord; Icel. mordh death, murder; Lat. mors (gen it. mort is )=death; Welsh marw; Lith.smertis.) Homicide with malice aforethought; the unlawful killing of a human being by a person of sound mind, with premeditated malice. Murder is divided into various degrees, such as murder in the first degree, which is punishable by death in most of the states of the Union, and le er degrees punishable by various terms of imprisonment. The crime is modified in law also by the terms manslaughter and homicide. " Murder is when a person of sound memory and discre. tion, unlawfully killeth any reasonable creature in being, and under the king's peace, with malice aforethought, either expre or implied."-Black stone: Comment., bk. iv., ch. 14. The murder is out : The secret is disclosed. mûr-der, *mor-ther-en, *mur-dre, v . t. [Α. S. myrdhrian; Goth. maurthrjan .] I. Literally : 1. To kill (a human being) with malice aforethought; to kill unlawfully or criminally. "Though I did wish him dead, I hate the murderer, love him murdered ." Shakesp.: Richard II ., v. 6. 2. To kill cruelly; to put to death in an unskillful or barbarous manner; as, He not only killed the dog, he positively murdered it. II. Figuratively : 1. To destroy; to put an end to; to cut short. "To murder our solemnity." Shakesp.: Romeo and Juliet , iv. 5. 2. To abuse gro ly; to mangle; to ruin or mar by false pronunciation, execution, representation, .; as, to murder the Queen's English; The actor murdered the part. mür-der-er, *mor-drer, *mür'-ther-er, subst. [Eng. murder; -er.] 1. Ord. Lang.: One who commits murder; one who, being of sound mind, unlawfully, and of malice aforethought kills a human being; a manslayer. "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you."- Acts iii. 14. *2. Ordn.: A small piece of ordnance, either of bra or of iron. They had chambers in the breeches, and were used in ships at the bulkheads of the forecastle, half-deck, or steerage, in order to clear the decks of boarders. Called also Murdering-piece. mür'-der-ě , *mür'ther-ě , *mor-drice, 8. [Eng. murder; -e .] A woman who commits murder; a female murderer. "Was I ordain'd to be a common murd ' re , And of the best men too?" Beaum. & Flet.: A Wife for a Month , v. 1. mür-der-ing, *mür' Murderer. ther-ing, pr. par., a. & 8. [MURDER, V.] IMG:content-1491.png:[blocks in formation] *müre, v . t . [Fr. murer , from mur =a wall.] To inclose within walls; to shut up, to immure. "He caused the doors of the temple to be mured up with brick, and so famished him to death."-P. Holland: Plutarch , p. 714. mür-en-ger, s . [Fr. murager , from murage =a tax for repairing the walls of a town; mur =a wall. For the insertion of the n compare pa enger , scaven ger, .] An officer appointed to take charge of the walls of a town, to see that they were kept in proper repair, and to receive the fixed tax or toll for that purpose. [MURAGE.]