mur·der (mûr?d?r)n.1. a. The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the crime of killing a person with malice aforethought or with recklessness manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.b. An instance of such killing.2. Slang Something that is very uncomfortable, difficult, or hazardous: The rush hour traffic is murder.3. A flock of crows.v. mur·dered, mur·der·ing, mur·ders v.tr.1. To kill (another human) in an act of murder.2. To kill brutally or inhumanly: Thousands of civilians were murdered in the bombardment.3. To put an end to; destroy: murdered their chances.4. To spoil by ineptness; mutilate: a speech that murdered the English language.5. Slang To defeat decisively; trounce.v.intr. To commit murder.Idioms: get away with murder Informal To escape punishment for or detection of an egregiously blameworthy act. murder will out Secrets or misdeeds will eventually be disclosed.[Middle English murther, from Old English morthor; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.murder (?m??d?) n1. (Law) the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. Compare manslaughter, homicide2. informal something dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant: driving around London is murder. 3. cry blue murder informal to make an outcry4. get away with murder informal to escape censure; do as one pleasesvb (mainly tr) 5. (Law) (also intr) to kill (someone) unlawfully with premeditation or during the commission of a crime6. (Law) to kill brutally7. informal to destroy; ruin: he murdered her chances of happiness. 8. informal to defeat completely; beat decisively: the home team murdered their opponents. Also (archaic or dialect): murther [Old English morthor; related to Old English morth, Old Norse morth, Latin mors death; compare French meurtre] ?murderer n ?murderess fem nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014mur?der (?m?r d?r) n., v. -dered, -der?ing. n. 1. the unlawful killing of a person, esp. when done with deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime (first-degree murder) or with intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder). 2. something injurious, immoral, or otherwise censurable: to get away with murder. 3. something extremely difficult or unpleasant: That exam was murder! v.t. 4. to kill by an act constituting murder. 5. to kill or slaughter barbarously. 6. to spoil or mar through incompetence: The singer murdered the aria. 7. Informal. to defeat thoroughly. v.i. 8. to commit murder. [1300?50; Middle English mo(u)rdre, murder, variant (influenced by Old French murdre