kill

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the destruction of an enemy plane or ship or tank or missile

   the pilot reported two kills during the mission

2. 2
   verb

   destroy a vitally essential quality of or in

   Eating artichokes kills the taste of all other foods

3. 3
   verb

   cause to cease operating

   kill the engine

4. 4
   verb

   tire out completely

   The daily stress of my work is killing me.

5. 5
   verb

   mark for deletion, rub off, or erase

   kill these lines in the President's speech

6. 6
   verb

   cause the death of, without intention

   They were killed in the collision of three cars.

7. 7
   verb

   deprive of life

   AIDS has killed thousands in Africa

8. 8
   verb

   hit with great force

   I killed the ball.

Etymology

From Middle English killen, kyllen, cüllen (“to strike, beat, cut”), of obscure origin. Cognate with Scots kele, keil (“to kill”). * Perhaps from unattested Old English *cyllan, from Proto-West Germanic *kwulljan, from Proto-Germanic *kwuljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to throw, hit, hurt by throwing”). * Or, possibly a variant of Old English cwellan (“to kill, murder, execute”) (see quell). * Or, from Old Norse kolla (“to hit on the head, harm”), related to Norwegian kylla (“to poll”), Middle Dutch kollen (“to knock down”), Icelandic kollur (“top, head”); see also coll, cole). Compa…