manslaughter

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the unlawful killing of a person without premeditated malice

   The jury convicted him of manslaughter rather than murder.

A compound of man (Old English mann, 'person') and slaughter (Middle English, from Old Norse slátr 'butcher's meat', related to slay). The legal sense 'unlawful killing without malice aforethought' developed in English law.

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