Kill"er (?), n. 1.
One who deprives of life; one who, or that which,
kills.
2. (Zoöl.) A voracious, toothed
whale of the genus Orca, of which several species are
known.
&fist; The killers have a high dorsal fin, and powerful
jaws armed with large, sharp teeth. They capture, and swallow entire,
large numbers of seals, porpoises, and dolphins, and are celebrated
for their savage, combined attacks upon the right whales, which they
are said to mutilate and kill. The common Atlantic species (Orca
gladiator), is found both on the European and the American coast.
Two species (Orca ater and O. rectipinna) occur on
the Pacific coast.