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get away with murder

 - 3 dictionary results

mur⋅der

[mur-der]
–noun
1. Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder), and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder).
2. Slang. something extremely difficult or perilous: That final exam was murder!
3. a group or flock of crows.
–verb (used with object)
4. Law. to kill by an act constituting murder.
5. to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously.
6. to spoil or mar by bad performance, representation, pronunciation, etc.: The tenor murdered the aria.
–verb (used without object)
7. to commit murder.
8. get away with murder, Informal. to engage in a deplorable activity without incurring harm or punishment: The new baby-sitter lets the kids get away with murder.
9. murder will out, a secret will eventually be exposed.
10. yell or scream bloody murder,
a. to scream loudly in pain, fear, etc.
b. to protest loudly and angrily: If I don't get a good raise I'm going to yell bloody murder.

Origin:
1300–50; ME mo(u)rdre, murder, var. (influenced by OF murdre < Gmc) of murthre murther


10. See kill 1 .
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To get away with murder
mur·der   (mûr'dər)   
n.  
  1. The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice.

  2. Slang Something that is very uncomfortable, difficult, or hazardous: The rush hour traffic is murder.

  3. A flock of crows. See Synonyms at flock1.

v.   mur·dered, mur·der·ing, mur·ders

v.   tr.
  1. To kill (another human) unlawfully.

  2. To kill brutally or inhumanly.

  3. To put an end to; destroy: murdered their chances.

  4. To spoil by ineptness; mutilate: a speech that murdered the English language.

  5. Slang To defeat decisively; trounce.

v.   intr.
To commit murder.

[Middle English murther, from Old English morthor; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: murder
Function: transitive verb
: to kill (a human being) unlawfully and under circumstances constituting murder intransitive verb : to commit murder
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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