Definition

Noun: A person who kills another human being; specifically, a criminal responsible for homicide (the unlawful, premeditated killing of another person).

Usage

The term "manslayer" is a formal and somewhat archaic word for a murderer. It is used to label a person who has committed the act of homicide. It is a compound noun directly describing the perpetrator of the killing.

Examples

• The medieval law was harsh on any manslayer.
• In the old texts, the manslayer was pursued for vengeance by the victim's family.
• The court found him guilty and declared him a manslayer.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be found in historical, legal, or literary contexts to evoke a formal or archaic tone.
• It is a neutral label in terms of the method or circumstance, focusing solely on the fact of having killed someone.

Variants and Related Words

• Homicide (n): The act of killing another person; also can refer to the person who commits such an act (e.g., "The homicide was arrested").
• Murderer (n): The more common modern term for a person who commits murder (unlawful killing with malice aforethought).
• Killer (n): A general term for someone or something that kills.

Synonyms

• Murderer
• Homicide (when referring to the person)
• Killer
• Slayer (a more general term that can apply to killing people, animals, or mythical creatures)

Antonyms

• Victim
• Savior
• Preserver

Notes

"Manslayer" is not commonly used in everyday modern English. The words "murderer" or "killer" are far more frequent. Its use today is typically deliberate to achieve a specific stylistic effect, such as in historical fiction, legal history, or certain formal writings.

Noun

1. a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)