Mur″der (mûr″dẽr), 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. βροτόσ (for μροτόσ) mortal, ἄμβροτοσ immortal, Skr. mṛ to die, mṛta 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.
☞ Murder in the second degree, in most jurisdictions, is a malicious homicide committed without a specific intention to take life. Wharton.