fratricide

[ fra-tri-sahyd ]
See synonyms for: fratricidefratricidal on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act of killing one's brother or a member of one’s own tribe or group.

  2. a person who kills their brother or a member of their own tribe or group.

Origin of fratricide

1
First recorded in 1490–1500; (def. 1) from Middle French, from Late Latin frātricīdium, equivalent to frātricīd(a) frātri- (combining form of frāter ) brother + -cīda -cide + -ium noun suffix; (def. 2) from Middle French, from frātricīda

Other words from fratricide

  • frat·ri·cid·al [fra-tri-sahyd-l], /ˌfræ trɪˈsaɪd l/, adjective

Words Nearby fratricide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fratricide in a sentence

  • Not that it signifies in the least in Nepaul whether a man is a fratricide or prefers making away with more distant relatives.

    A Journey to Katmandu | Laurence Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for fratricide

fratricide

/ (ˈfrætrɪˌsaɪd, ˈfreɪ-) /


noun
  1. the act of killing one's brother

  2. a person who kills his brother

  1. military the destruction of or interference with a nuclear missile before it can strike its target caused by the earlier explosion of a warhead at a nearby target

Origin of fratricide

1
C15: from Latin frātricīda; see frater 1, -cide

Derived forms of fratricide

  • fratricidal, adjective

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