murderess
/'mə:dəris/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A female murderer: A woman who commits the crime of murder; a woman who unlawfully kills another person with malice aforethought.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The novel's antagonist is a cunning murderess who evades capture for years.
- The trial revealed the accused murderess had planned the crime meticulously.
Advanced Usage
- The term "murderess" is specifically gendered, denoting a female perpetrator. In modern legal and general contexts, the gender-neutral term "murderer" is increasingly used for all individuals, regardless of gender.
- The headline read "Murderer Sentenced to Life," though the defendant was a woman.
Variants and Related Words
- Murder (n/verb): The unlawful killing of a person; to commit such a killing.
- He was charged with murder.
- Murderer (n): A person who commits murder (traditionally male, but now often gender-neutral).
- The police apprehended the murderer.
- Homicide (n): The killing of one person by another (a broader, more formal/legal term that includes murder).
- The case was ruled a justifiable homicide.
Synonyms
- Killer: A person or thing that kills.
- Assassin: A murderer, especially one who kills a prominent political figure.
Related Phrases
- To be convicted as a murderess: To be found legally guilty of being a female murderer.
- She was the last woman in the state to be convicted as a murderess before the law's wording changed.
Noun
- a woman murderer