Mur"der (mûr"d&etilde;r), n. [OE.
morder, morther, AS. morðor, fr.
morð murder; akin to D. moord, OS. morð,
G., Dan., & Sw. mord, Icel. morð, Goth.
maúrþr, OSlav. mrēti 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.
m&rsdot; to die, m&rsdot;ta death. √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.
&fist; Murder in the second degree, in most jurisdictions,
is a malicious homicide committed without a specific intention to
take life. Wharton.
Mur"der, 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.
