manslayer
/'mæn,sleiə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)