Homicide

The killing of a human being. Homicide has undoubtedly been practiced for as long as humans have existed, and the act has developed a plethora of variations. Listed below are terms relating specifically to the killing of humans.

• amicicide - killing one's friend
• assassination - killing by surprise for political ends
• chance medley - killing in self-defense
• decimation - killing a large proportion of a population
• episcopicide - killing of a bishop
• ethnocide - killing of an ethnic group
• euthanasia - killing to relieve suffering
• execution - killing to carry out a death sentence imposed by law
• femicide - killing of a woman (also gynaecide)
• feticide - killing of a fetus (also foeticide)
• filicide - killing one's son or daughter
• fratricide - killing one's brother
• genocide - killing of most or all of a race or nationality
• giganticide - killing of a giant
• hereticide - killing of a heretic
• holocaust - killing of many by fire
• human sacrifice - killing to please or appease a deity or deities
• infanticide - killing of a baby
• manslaughter - killing unlawfully but without malicious intent
  • voluntary manslaughter
  • involuntary manslaughter
• mariticide - killing one's spouse
• martyrdom - killing of the faithful who refuse to renounce their faith
• massacre - killing of many, indiscriminately
• matricide - killing one's mother
• murder - killing unlawfully and with malicious intent
  • premeditated murder - murder that has been planned ahead of time
  • serial killing - multiple murders carried out over a long period of time
  • aberemurder - willful murder
• parricide - killing one's parent (also parenticide)
• patricide - killing one's father
• prolicide - killing one's offspring
• regicide - killing of a monarch
• senicide - killing of an old man
• sororicide - killing one's sister
• suicide - killing oneself
• tyrannicide - killing of a tyrant
• uxoricide - killing one's wife
• vaticide - killing of a prophet

Hom"i*cide (?), n. [F., fr. L. homicidium, fr. homicida a man slayer; homo man + caedere to cut, kill. See Homage, and cf. Concise, Shed, v. t.]

1.

The killing of one human being by another.

⇒ Homicide is of three kinds: justifiable, as when the killing is performed in the exercise of a right or performance of a duty; excusable, as when done, although not as duty or right, yet without culpable or criminal intent; and felonious, or involving what the law terms malice; the latter may be either manslaughter or murder. Bouvier.

2.

One who kills another; a manslayer.

Chaucer. Shak.

© Webster 1913.