kill

kill

kill¹ [kil]

vt.

[ME kullen, killen < ? OE * cyllan, special late phonetic development of cwellan, to kill: see QUELL]

1. to cause the death of; make die

2.

a) to destroy the vital or active qualities of

b) to destroy; put an end to; ruin

3. to prevent the passage of (legislation); defeat or veto

4. to spend (time) on matters of little or no importance

5.

☆ a) to cause (an engine, etc.) to stop; turn off

b) to turn off (a light, esp. a theater spotlight)

c) to muffle (sound)

☆ 6. to prevent publication of [to kill a newspaper story]

7. to spoil the effect of; destroy by contrast: said of colors, etc.

8. Informal to overcome with laughter, chagrin, pleasure, surprise, etc.

9. Informal to cause to feel great pain or discomfort

10. Informal to tire out; exhaust

☆ 11. Slang to drink the last, or all, of (a bottle of liquor, etc.); finish off

☆ 12. Printing to mark as not to be used; score out; cancel

13. Tennis etc. to return (the ball) with such force that it cannot be returned

vi.

1. to destroy life

2. to be killed [plants that kill easily]

n.

1. an act or instance of killing

2. an animal or animals killed

3. an enemy plane, ship, etc. destroyed

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in at the kill

1. present when the hunted animal is killed

2. present at the end or climax of some action

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to kill

Informal to make a strongly desirable impression [dressed to kill]

SYN.- KILL¹ is the general word in this list, meaning to cause the death of in any way, and may be applied to persons, animals, or plants; SLAY, now largely a literary word, implies deliberate and violent killing; MURDER applies to an unlawful and malicious or premeditated killing; ASSASSINATE implies specifically the sudden killing of a politically important person, often by someone hired or delegated to do this; EXECUTE denotes a killing in accordance with a legally imposed sentence; DISPATCH suggests a killing by direct action, such as shooting, and emphasizes speed or promptness

☆ kill² [kil ]

n.

[Du kil < MDu kille, akin to ON kīll, inlet]

a stream; channel; creek: used esp. in place names