second-degree murder

noun Law.

See under murder(def 1).

Origin of second-degree murder

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

Words nearby second-degree murder

second world war, second-best, second-class, second-class citizen, second-degree burn, second-degree murder, second-foot, second-generation, second-guess, second-hand, second-homer

Definition for second-degree murder (2 of 2)

murder
[ mur-der ]
/ ˈmɜr dər /

noun

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, ormurder one), and murder by intent but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder, ormurder two).
Slang. something extremely difficult or perilous: That final exam was murder!
a group or flock of crows.

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

to commit murder.

Origin of murder

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English mo(u)rdre, murder, variant (influenced by Old French murdre, from Germanic) of murthre; see murther

synonym study for murder

4. See kill1.

OTHER WORDS FROM murder

self-mur·der, noun self-mur·dered, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH murder

homicide manslaughter murder execute kill1 murder (see synonym study at kill1)

British Dictionary definitions for second-degree murder

murder
/ (ˈmɜːdə) /

noun

verb (mainly tr)

Also (archaic or dialect): murther

Derived forms of murder

murderer, noun murderess, fem n

Word Origin for murder

Old English morthor; related to Old English morth, Old Norse morth, Latin mors death; compare French meurtre

Idioms and Phrases with second-degree murder

murder