KILLER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does killer mean? 

• KILLER (noun)
  The noun KILLER has 4 senses:

1. someone who causes the death of a person or animal

2. the causal agent resulting in death

3. a difficulty that is hard to deal with

4. predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas

  Familiarity information: KILLER used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• KILLER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who causes the death of a person or animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

killer; slayer

Hypernyms ("killer" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "killer"):

executioner; public executioner (an official who inflicts capital punishment in pursuit of a warrant)

eradicator; exterminator; terminator (someone who exterminates (especially someone whose occupation is the extermination of troublesome rodents and insects))

choker; garroter; garrotter; strangler; throttler (someone who kills by strangling)

liquidator; manslayer; murderer (a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being))

poisoner (someone who kills with poison)

regicide (someone who commits regicide; the killer of a king)

felo-de-se; suicide (a person who kills himself intentionally)

Derivation:

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The causal agent resulting in death

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

cause of death; killer

Context example:

heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States

Hypernyms ("killer" is a kind of...):

causal agency; causal agent; cause (any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results)

Derivation:

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

kill (cause the death of, without intention)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A difficulty that is hard to deal with

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

that exam was a real killer

Hypernyms ("killer" is a kind of...):

difficulty (a factor causing trouble in achieving a positive result or tending to produce a negative result)

Derivation:

kill (be the source of great pain for)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

grampus; killer; killer whale; orca; Orcinus orca; sea wolf

Hypernyms ("killer" is a kind of...):

dolphin (any of various small toothed whales with a beaklike snout; larger than porpoises)

Holonyms ("killer" is a member of...):

genus Orcinus; Orcinus (killer whales)

 Context examples 

This protein is involved in natural killer cell function.

(Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 2, NCI Thesaurus)

Menthol causes a cooling sensation when eaten or put on the skin and it acts as a mild pain killer.

(Menthol, NCI Dictionary)

The determination of the amount of natural killer cells present in a sample.

(Natural Killer Cell Count, NCI Thesaurus)

A measurement of the total natural killer cells in a biological specimen.

(Natural Killer Cell Count, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

This protein plays a role in natural killer cell function.

(Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3, NCI Thesaurus)

Natural killer cell receptor 2B4 (370 aa, ~42 kDa) is encoded by the human CD244 gene.

(Natural Killer Cell Receptor 2B4, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon administration, anti-KIR monoclonal antibody IPH2102 binds to KIR, thereby preventing the binding of KIR ligands to KIR on natural killer (NK) cells.

(Anti-KIR Monoclonal Antibody IPH2102, NCI Thesaurus)

A population of allogeneic, cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells with potential antitumor activity.

(Allogeneic Natural Killer Cell Line MG4101, NCI Thesaurus)

He came of a breed of meat- killers and meat-eaters.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A natural killer cell is a type of white blood cell.

(Natural killer cell, NCI Dictionary)