assassin en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /əˈsæsɪn/ (UK)
- (UK) audio
Etymology
From either French assassin or Italian assassino, from Arabic أَسَاسِيِّين (ʔasāsiyyīn, “people who are faithful to the foundation [of the faith]”) and the folkloric etymology Arabic حَشَّاشِين (ḥaššāšīn, “hashish users; low-lives”). The mathematical sense was introduced by Bourbaki, playing on the notation operatorname Ass(M) and the fact that an associated prime is the annihilator of an element, and so is said to kill that element.
Meanings
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Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, archived from the original on 12 Mar 2023, page 55:What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause can ever be stilled by an assassin’s bullet.
1968, Robert F. Kennedy, On the Mindless Menace of Violence:The hand that held the bond of so many jarring interests lay powerless beneath the pall. The perils of war had been about him, and the midnight assassin had watched his path; yet he died quietly in his bed.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 233:
- Any ruthless killer.
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(capitalized, historical, usually) A member of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community of the Alamut Period.
The Assassines, a nation depending of Phœnicia, are esteemed among the Mahometists of a soveraigne devotion and puritie of maners; they hold, that the readiest and shortest way to gaine Paradise, is to kill some one of a contrary religion[…].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 29, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
- (humorous) An associated prime of a module.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| assassins | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
assassination · assassinism · bee assassin · assassinator · assassin spider · assassinous · assassin fly · assassinship · smiling assassin · assassinatrix · assassinatress · assassinlike · superassassin · counterassassin · assassin bug · Great Assassin · assassinate · autassassinophilia
Translations (227)
km ឃាតករ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · lad seffaḥ (Haketía) (any ruthless killer) · pt assassino (any ruthless killer) · sk vrah (any ruthless killer) · cmn 刺客 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl assassijn (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · da morder (any ruthless killer) · mr गुप्तघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · la assassīnus (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · da lønmorder (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nb attentatmann (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ka მკვლელი (any ruthless killer) · el δολοφόνος (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · el ασσασίνος (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · de Mörderin (any ruthless killer) · sk atentátnička (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sa छलघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · de Attentäterin (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · eo murdintino (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg уби́ец (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mr विषकन्या (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pt assassina (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg уби́йца (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg терори́ст (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · kmr qatil (any ruthless killer) · de Mörder (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · da attentatkvinde (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · da snigmorder (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · es asesino (any ruthless killer) · ka კილერი (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi क़ातिल (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · es magnicida (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · lad matador (Haketía) (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi विषकन्या (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sk asasín (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · sa विषकन्या (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nrf assâsine (any ruthless killer) · nb snikmorderske (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hy մարդասպան (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pl skrytobójca (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg нае́мен уби́ец (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pl zamachowczyni (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi हत्यारा (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sv mördare (any ruthless killer) · or ବିଷକନ୍ୟା (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi गरकट (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sv lönnmörderska (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · el δολοφόνος (any ruthless killer) · de Mörderin (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · it assassino (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · lv algots slepkava (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fr assassine (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sk atentátnik (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · kmr mirovkuj (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl huurmoordenaar (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · lad hashashin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · ar قَاتِل (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mk у́биец (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · gd murtair (any ruthless killer) · fa آدمکش (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl sluipmoordenaar (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · es asesino (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · sh atèntātor (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cs atentátnice (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi गुप्तघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mr छलघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · da snigmorderske (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fi tappaja (any ruthless killer) · vi sát thủ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mr हत्यारा (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cy bradlofrudd (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · lad matador (any ruthless killer) · pl asasyn (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · la assassinus (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · es assassin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · nn attentatmann (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fr assassin (any ruthless killer) · cmn 暗殺者 /暗杀者 (any ruthless killer) · ru ки́ллер (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ru наёмный уби́йца (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · it assassina (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pt assassino (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · nb snikmorder (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pl zabójca (any ruthless killer) · ka დაქირავებული მკვლელი (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · is launmorðingi (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nb lønnmorder (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · he חשאשין (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · cmn 杀手 (any ruthless killer) · tr haşhaşi (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · da attentatmand (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sh ubojica (any ruthless killer) · sl atentatorka (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl moordenares (any ruthless killer) · de Meuchelmörderin (any ruthless killer) · pl skrytobójczyni (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sa हत्यारा (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ru уби́йца (any ruthless killer) · mk атента́тор (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl Assassijn (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · es sicario (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sh asasin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · ca assassí (any ruthless killer) · pt assassino (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg терори́стка (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pt assassina (any ruthless killer) · it assassina (any ruthless killer) · fi murhaaja (any ruthless killer) · gl asasina (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl moordenaar (any ruthless killer) · hi आदमकुश (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · tr suikastçı (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · la sīcārius (any ruthless killer) · or ଗୁପ୍ତଘାତୀ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cmn 凶手 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cs hašašín (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · ur آدَمْکُش (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · vi kẻ ám sát (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ca assassina (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sv baneman (any ruthless killer) · nn snikmordar (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cs atentátník (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ary حشاشين (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · nrf assâsîn (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · da assassiner (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · hi छलघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sv dråpare (any ruthless killer) · la percussor (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ca assassí (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · rmq muleró (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hu bérgyilkos (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · tg одамкуш (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ga feallmharfóir (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sv lönnmördare (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nrf assâsine (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · he רוצח (any ruthless killer) · tr katil (any ruthless killer) · da drabsmand (any ruthless killer) · pl zamachowiec (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · af moordenaar (any ruthless killer) · ur خُونِی (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · gl asasino (any ruthless killer) · af sluipmoordenaar (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · la sīcārius (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pl zabójczyni (any ruthless killer) · bg уби́йца (any ruthless killer) · ru хашаши́н (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · it assassino (any ruthless killer) · nl sluipmoordenares (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · de Mörder (any ruthless killer) · cs asasín (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · lad asasino (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ms pembunuh upahan (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ja 暗殺者 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ja 刺客 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ary قتال (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · gl asasina (any ruthless killer) · ru уби́йца (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fr assassine (any ruthless killer) · ar مُغْتَال (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ur گَرْکَٹ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nb attentatkvinne (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · es asesina (any ruthless killer) · de Meuchelmörder (any ruthless killer) · kmr mirovkuj (any ruthless killer) · fr assassin (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sd حشاشين (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · sd قاتل (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mr मारेकरी (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · or ଛଳଘାତୀ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · yi רוצח (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · or ହତ୍ୟାରା (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ar سَفَّاك (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fur sassin (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl huurmoordenares (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · cmn 哈薩辛 /哈萨辛 (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · ko 암살자 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · bg уби́ец (any ruthless killer) · ko 자객 (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · be наёмны забо́йца (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hi ख़ूनी (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · tl manlilingo (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · uk на́йманий уби́вця (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sl atentator (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sa गुप्तघाती (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nrf assâsîn (any ruthless killer) · rmq marrabador (any ruthless killer) · th ผู้สังหาร (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · lad asasino (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · mk аса́син (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · it assassino (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fa حشاشین (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · fr assassin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · sh убојица (any ruthless killer) · kmr suîqestker (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ur ہَتْیَارَا (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · fi salamurhaaja (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · yi מערדער (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · pl zbójczyni (any ruthless killer) · cmn 阿萨辛 (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · fo slysdrápsmaður (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · rmq marrabador (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ar سَفَّاح (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · de Assassine (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · cy asasin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · he מִתְנַקֶּשֶׁת (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ang morþslaga (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · de Attentäter (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ja キラー (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · nl moordenaarster (any ruthless killer) · lv slepkava (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · hu asszaszin (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · gl asasino (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ar حَشَّاش (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · eo murdinto (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sd خوني (any ruthless killer) · rmq asesino (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group) · ary سفاح (any ruthless killer) · et palgamõrvar (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ur قَاتِل (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · he מִתְנַקֵּשׁ (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · sh атѐнта̄тор (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · mk у́биец (any ruthless killer) · nn attentatkvinne (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ary قاتل (one who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public figure) · ca assassina (any ruthless killer) · ru ассаси́н (member of the historical Ismaili Muslim militant group)
wikidata: Q55983771 · wikipedia: Nicolas Bourbaki · wikipedia: assassin