Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Killer |
KillerNoun1. Someone who causes the death of a person or animal. 2. The causal agent resulting in death; "heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States". 3. A difficulty that is hard to deal with; "that exam was a real killer". 4. Predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "killer" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1532. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Biographical Satire | KILLER, Jack The Giant, a man who combined his name and accomplishments. Source: Who was Who: 5000BC - 1914. |
Slang | Noun, adjective. Source: Killer:. Definition: Overwhelming, praiseworthy, awesome. Context: Used to describe how good something is by surfers. Social Source: Surfers. Source: Compiled by The University of Oregon. (additional references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
- A killer is a person, animal, object, plant (&c.) that kills. See also assassin.
- A killer is the lines, bars, grid, etc. applied to stampss on a letter to prevent their reuse (see also cancellation).
- Killer is a LRP game by Steve Jackson where players play assassins.
- Killer is the name of a psychobilly band.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Killer."
Synonyms: KillerSynonyms: cause of death (n), grampus (n), killer whale (n), orca (n), sea wolf (n), slayer (n). (additional references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Makes you a more efficient killer, right (Terminator 2: Judgment Day; writing credit: James Cameron; William Wisher Jr.) The mark of a true killer. (All About Eve; writing credit: Joseph L. Mankiewicz) They're all the same. Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act and is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door (Scream; writing credit: Kevin Williamson) Yeah, killer boots man (Dumb & Dumber; writing credit: Peter Farrelly; Bennett Yellin) Like I was saying, you don't look no meaner-than-hell, cold-blooded, damn killer. (Unforgiven; writing credit: Walon Green; Roy N. Sickner) | |
Lyrics | This here's the story about Killer Joe (THAT'S KILLER JOE; performing artist: Manhattan Transfer) They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner (What It's Like; performing artist: Everlast) You're fighting to survive inside a killer, thriller tonight (Thriller; performing artist: Michael Jackson) Caught me down like a killer shark (INFATUATION; performing artist: Rod Stewart) You better watch your back before she turn into a killer (It Wasn't Me; performing artist: Shaggy) | |
Clever | 1968: Killer weed. 1998: Weed killer. (references; author: unknown) Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Killer Bees (1974) Kiss Me Killer (1974) The Zebra Killer (1974) Lady Killer (1973) Ninja Killer (1973) | |
Song Titles | That's Killer Joe (performing artist: Manhattan Transfer) Killer Queen (performing artist: Queen) Killer Joe (performing artist: Rocky Fellers) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Mice were injected with mouse sarcoma cells amd treated 3 days later when many micro-metastatic tumor foci were evident in the lungs. Lungs on the left were treated with saline. The lungs on the right were treated with lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells plus recombinant interleukin-2. Greater than 250 sarcoma metastases are seen in the lungs of saline treated mice. This number is significantly reduced to less than 12 in mice receiving LAK cells plus recombinant interleukin-2. Normal mouse lung is 1 inch long. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |  | Killer whales - Orcinus orca - note blow hole in nearest animal. Credit: NOAA's Ark (Animals). |
 | A large male killer whale - Orcinus orca. Credit: NOAA's Ark (Animals). |  | Killer whales in Antarctic waters Coming up for a look around. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Killer whale in Alaskan waters. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Killer whale cruising the pack ice looking for seals. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | Killer whale study. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | A pod of killer whales on the Bay of Biscay. Credit: Fisheries. |
 | Besides man, killer whales are major predators pursuing tuna. Credit: Fisheries. |  | Killer Whale. Credit: Alaska Image Library. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Killer weird seat" by Rc Pause Commentary: "It's a strange seat which I saw at Ford during the 'mondial de l'automobile' in Paris 2002." | "Killer Whale" by William J. Ray Commentary: "This guy swam right under our Zodiac whale-watching boat in the San Juan Straits of Vancouver." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption |
 | Killer whale communication. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Take a dose a pain killer. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | This includes the killer phenotype, characteristic of yeasts. (references) | |
Natural killer cells directly attack cells that have been infected by viruses. (references) | ||
The killer binds to its target, aims its weapons, and delivers a burst of lethal chemicals. (references) | ||
Human Rights | Iran | The law also allows for the relatives of murder victims to take part in the execution of the killer. (references) |
Brazil | However, others note that the victim also was active in politics and that his killer could have been motivated by political goals. (references) | |
Russia | In the case of the St. Petersburg Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Gennadiy Tuganov, killed in 1999, police completed their investigation but failed to identify who hired the killer. (references) | |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | LORE, n. Learning -- particularly that sort which is not derived from a regular course of instruction but comes of the reading of occult books, or by nature. This latter is commonly designated as folk-lore and embraces popularly myths and superstitions. In Baring-Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages the reader will find many of these traced backward, through various people son converging lines, toward a common origin in remote antiquity. Among these are the fables of "Teddy the Giant Killer," "The Sleeping John Sharp Williams," "Little Red Riding Hood and the Sugar Trust," "Beauty and the Brisbane," "The Seven Aldermen of Ephesus," "Rip Van Fairbanks," and so forth. The fable with Goethe so affectingly relates under the title of "The Erl- King" was known two thousand years ago in Greece as "The Demos and the Infant Industry." One of the most general and ancient of these myths is that Arabian tale of "Ali Baba and the Forty Rockefellers." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Dennis Miller | For every person with a bad childhood who becomes a serial killer, there are a thousand who learn from that experience to be better parents to their own kids. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| "Killer" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 97.65% of the time. "Killer" is used about 1,320 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 97.65% | 1,289 | 6,127 |
| Noun (proper) | 2.35% | 31 | 62,296 |
| Total | 100.00% | 1,320 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "killer" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Killer | Last name | 130 | 62,862 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "killer": Bee killer ♦ cicada killer ♦ color killer ♦ colour killer ♦ dup killer ♦ egg killer ♦ hired killer ♦ Jack the Giant Killer ♦ killer app ♦ killer bee ♦ killer cells ♦ killer fog ♦ killer instinct ♦ killer micro ♦ killer poke ♦ Killer Queen ♦ killer T cell ♦ killer trunk ♦ killer weed ♦ killer whale ♦ killer wind ♦ king killer ♦ lady killer ♦ lymphokine-activated killer cells ♦ mule killer ♦ natural killer cells ♦ noise killer ♦ pain killer ♦ salmon killer ♦ sea killer ♦ serial killer ♦ snake killer ♦ Tarantula killer ♦ time killer ♦ weed killer. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "killer": Killer-bardi, killer-car, killer-cell, killer-ships, killer-type, killer-were. | |
Ending with "killer": Giant-killer, pain-killer. | |
Containing "killer": hunter-killer group. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
popup killer | 4,772 | natural born killer | 229 |
pop up killer | 4,566 | buy killer mosquito | 202 |
killer whale | 3,631 | killer pollo | 192 |
serial killer | 3,516 | killer popup | 188 |
free pop up killer | 1,006 | history killer | 187 |
free popup killer | 858 | killer oldies | 165 |
killer | 705 | killer louisiana serial | 164 |
killer mike | 639 | baton killer rouge serial | 160 |
spam killer | 600 | killer loop | 150 |
killer instinct | 528 | killer instinct rom | 141 |
pain killer | 451 | pop up ad killer | 137 |
killer ad | 393 | spyware killer | 132 |
weed killer | 391 | famous serial killer | 113 |
mosquito killer | 361 | dvd region killer | 102 |
killer bee | 270 | bug killer | 97 |
zodiac killer | 253 | killer messenger | 96 |
killer whale picture | 252 | download free killer popup | 93 |
ant killer | 245 | free spam killer | 88 |
pop killer | 237 | killer instinct gold | 88 |
bounty killer | 232 | green killer river | 86 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "killer"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | vrasës (assassin, cutthroat, homicidal, homicide, killing, murderer, murderous, slaughterous, slayer, suicidal), balenë vrastare (killer whale). (various references) | |
Arabic | قاتل (assassin, battle, combat, deadly, engage, fight, lethal, manslayer, murdered, murderer, murderous, vital, war), سفاح (atrocious, bloodthirsty, gorilla, hoodlum, hooligan, mug, slaughterer, thug), القاتل (assassin, homicide). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | убиец (assassinator, butcher, cutthroat, homicide, murderer, slaughterer). (various references) | |
Chinese | 凶手 (Murderer). (various references) | |
Czech | zabiják (cosh, cutthroat, hoodlum, knuckle duster). (various references) | |
Danish | slagtemaskine. (various references) | |
Dutch | orka (killer whale, orca). (various references) | |
Faeroese | bóghvítuhvalur (killer whale, orca). (various references) | |
Farsi | کشنده (Attractive, Deadly, Fatal, Mortal, Murderous, Pernicious, Tracker), قاتل (Assassin, Bane, Cutthroat, Deadly, Murderer, Slayer, Thug). (various references) | |
Finnish | värinsalpa (color killer, colour killer), tappaja-T-lymfosyytti (killer T lymphocyte), tappajakanta (killer strain), salpaava runkolinja (killer trunk), otsonikerrosta tuhoava aine (ozone depleter, ozone eater, ozone killer, ozone scavenger, ozone-damaging substance, ozone-depleting substance, ozone-modifying substance, ozone-reducing substance), munien torjuntaan käytettävä torjunta-aine (egg killer, ovicide), miekkavalas (killer whale), hanhen viiltolaite (goose killer), häiriönvaimennin (noise blanker, noise killer, noise suppressor). (various references) | |
French | tueur, meurtrier. (various references) | |
German | killer (hit man, murderer), Totschläger (blackjack, club, cosh, cudgel, homicide, killers, manslayer), mörder (assassin, homicide, murder, murderer, murderers, slayer). (various references) | |
Greek | φονιάσ (cut throat, murderer, slayer), φονεύσ (murderer, slayer, thug), δολοφόνος (assassin, murderer). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מרצח (assassin, murderer), הורג (executioner, hangman), רוצח (assassin, cutthroat, homicide, murderer). (various references) | |
Hungarian | vágólegény, vágó (cutter, cutting, Hewer), gyilkos (bloody, carnal, cutthroat, devastating, homicidal, internecine, lethal gas, mortal, murderer, murderous, scathing, slaughterous, slayer). (various references) | |
Indonesian | pembunuh (assassin, cuttroath, murderer), pemberangus (destroyer). (various references) | |
Inuktitut | aarlu (killer whale). (various references) | |
Italian | uccisore (assassin, murderer, slayer). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 殺人者 (murderer), 殺害者 (murderer), キャンプ村 (campaign, campaign sale, campsite, Canberra, Canon, Cuba, Cuban heel, cubic, cubic type, cubism, cue, culotte, culotte skirt, Cupid, curacao, curator, cure, curie, curiosity, curium, cute, cuticle, cuticle cream, cuticle remover, cutie, killer dust, kiosk, queue). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | さつがいしゃ (murderer), さつじんしゃ (murderer), キラー . (various references) | |
Korean | 살인자 (Murderer). (various references) | |
Manx | marrooder (executioner, exterminator, homicide, murderer, slaughterer), dunver (assassin, murderer). (various references) | |
Norwegian | morder. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | illerkay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | roaz-de-bandeira (grampus), orca (grampus, killer whale), choupa para abater reses, assassino (assassin, cutthroat, felon, goon, homicide, killing, murderer, murderous, slayer, thug). (various references) | |
Romanian | ucigaş (assassin, bloodthirsty, bravo, choker, cut throat, deadly, fatal, felon, homicidal, homicide, murderer, murderous, sanguinary, thug), asasin (assassin, cut throat, homicide, murderer, thug). (various references) | |
Russian | убийца;инф)ограничитель, убийца (assassin, assissin, basher, gorilla, homicide, knifeman, murderer, murderess, slayer, thug), бандит (bandit, brigand, gorilla, gunman, hijacker, killer whale, mobster, mosstrooper, outlaw, ruffian). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | ubica (assassin, assassinator, cain, murderer, slayer). (various references) | |
Spanish | matador (assassin, backbreaking, matador, mop, murderer, slayer), asesino (assassin, cutthroat, murderer, murderous, slaughterer, slayer). (various references) | |
Swedish | mördare (assassin, cut throat, cutthroat, cut-throat, homicide, murderer). (various references) | |
Thai | ผู้ฆ่า. (various references) | |
Turkish | katil (assassin, cutthroat, homicide, murderer, murderess, slaughterer, slayer, thug, Thumper), kasap (butcher, slaughterer, sticker), delikanlı (a slip of a boy, adolescent, boy, conceited pup, gossoon, juvenescent, lad, laddie, palikar, pup, puppy, sapling, sprig, stripling, teen, teenager, teeny, whelp, young man, youngster, youth), öldürücü hastalık, öldürücü darbe (coup de grace, death blow, deathblow, quietus), çekici kadın (cookie, cooky). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | убивця (basher, cutthroat, homicide, murderer, slayer, thug), бандит (apache, bandit, bully, gangster, mobster, mosstrooper, outlaw). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | người giết. (various references) | |
Welsh | lladdwr (slayer). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | interfector, interfectorem, interfectores, interfectoris, interfectorum. (various references) |
| Old English | 450-1100 | bana. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "killer": killers. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "killer": painkiller. (additional references) | |
Words containing "killer": painkillers. (additional references) | |
| |
"Killer" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Akeler, Ciller, giller, Kalar, kaler, Kallir, kellar, Kelner, kesler, Keuller, Kilarow, Kilbey, Kilclief, Kilder, kile, Kileo, kiler, Kilkee, Kilkern, killa, kille, Killebree, killee, killey, killi, Killoe, Killom, Killum, kilmer, kilor, Kilvey, kler, Klier, klller, Kolker, Kollatr, Kolner, Kotler, kulla, Kulle, skiller. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "killer" (pronounced ki"ler) |
| 3 | -i" l er | driller, biller, chiller, distiller, filler, Giller, Hiller, Miller, pillar, Schiller, Siller, Spiller, stiller, thriller, tiller, Willer. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-i-k-l-l-r" | |
-1 letter: iller, krill, liker, rille. | |
-2 letters: keir, kier, kill, lier, like, lire, riel, rile, rill. | |
-3 letters: elk, ell, ilk, ill, ire, irk, kir, lei, lek, lie, rei. | |
-4 letters: el, er, li, re. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-i-k-l-l-r" | |
+1 letter: killers. | |
+2 letters: killdeer, lardlike, likelier, lordlike, overkill. | |
+3 letters: clerklier, killdeers, kiloliter, overkills, rollicked. | |
+4 letters: clerkliest, flowerlike, kallikrein, kernelling, kiloliters, ladderlike, lawyerlike, overkilled, painkiller, unlikelier, winterkill. | |
+5 letters: alkalimeter, alkalimetry, blacklister, blackmailer, bladderlike, bristlelike, kallikreins, kilocalorie, leatherlike, lickerishly, lobsterlike, overkilling, painkillers, realpolitik, trelliswork, volkslieder, winterkills. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Sounds 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Quotations: Spoken | 13. Usage Frequency 14. Names: Frequency 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Translations: Ancient 19. Derivations 20. Rhymes | 21. Anagrams 22. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
