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killer definition

killer (kil′ər)

noun

  1. a person, animal, or thing that kills, esp. one that kills habitually or wantonly
  2. killer whale
  3. Slang something devastating, difficult, hard to cope with, etc.
  4. Slang an extremely successful, impressive, exciting, etc. person or thing

adjective

  1. that kills or has the potential for killing a killer storm
  2. Slang very difficult, hard to cope with, etc.
  3. Slang successful, impressive, exciting, etc.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

killer Synonyms

killer

n.

murderer, assassin, slayer, gunman, gangster, shooter, strangler, poisoner, butcher, executioner, hangman, assassinator, hit man*, manslayer*, serial murderer, sniper*, electrocutioner, headsman*, axman, cutthroat*, ruffian*, garroter, lyncher, exterminator*, homicide*, patricide*, matricide*, parricide*, fratricide*, regicide*, suicide*, hired gun*, hatchet man*; see also criminal, destroyer 1, executioner.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

killer Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • convict: You get to plow through the FBI crime manual and a dossier that documents actual statements from convicted killers.

Adjective modifier

  • serial: For there is a serial killer loose upon the streets of Toy City.

Modifies a noun

  • whale: Killer whales, actually a kind of dolphin, are found in all the world's oceans.

Noun used with modifier

  • weed: Two doses of weed killer were put down which eventually turned all of the grass brown.
killer usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

killer quotes

For here the lover and killer are mingled who had one body and one heart. And death, who had the soldier singled has done the lover mortal hurt.

-Douglas, Gavin

Bodyline was devised to stifle Bradman's batting genius. They said I was a'killer with the ball', without taking into account that Bradman, with the bat, was the greatest killer of all.

-Larwood, Harold

killer quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"killer." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/killer>

APA Style

killer. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/killer

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