kill
Pronunciation: (kil), [key]
— v.t.
- to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.
- to destroy; do away with; extinguish: His response killed our hopes.
- to destroy or neutralize the active qualities of: to kill an odor.
- to spoil the effect of: His extra brushwork killed the painting.
- to cause (time) to be consumed with seeming rapidity or with a minimum of boredom, esp. by engaging in some easy activity or amusement of passing interest: I had to kill three hours before plane time.
- to spend (time) unprofitably: He killed ten good years on that job.
- to overcome completely or with irresistible effect: That comedian kills me.
- to muffle or deaden: This carpet kills the sound of footsteps.
- to cause distress or discomfort to: These new shoes are killing me.
- to tire completely; exhaust: The long hike killed us.
- to consume completely: They killed a bottle of bourbon between them.
- to cancel publication of (a word, paragraph, item, etc.), esp. after it has been set in type.
- to defeat or veto (a legislative bill, etc.).
- to render (a circuit) dead.
- to stop the operation of (machinery, engines, etc.): He killed the motor and the car stopped.
- to hit (a ball) with such force that its return is impossible.
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- to deoxidize (steel) before teeming into an ingot mold.
- to eliminate springiness from (wire or the like).
- to cold-roll (sheet metal) after final heat treatment in order to eliminate distortion.
- to prevent the opposing team from scoring in the course of (a penalty being served by a teammate or teammates).
—v.i.
- to inflict or cause death.
- to commit murder.
- to be killed.
- to overcome completely; produce an irresistible effect: dressed to kill.
- to feel a smarting pain, as from a minor accident; sting: I stubbed my little toe and that really kills.
- The invaders killed off all the inhabitants of the town.
- to destroy completely; kill, esp. successively or indiscriminately:The invaders killed off all the inhabitants of the town.
- Informal.to extinguish; eliminate:The bus ride every day kills off all of my energy.
- to overdo in one's efforts to be kind: The aunts would kill their nephews and nieces with kindness.
—n.
- the act of killing, esp. game: The hounds moved in for the kill.
- an animal or animals killed.
- a number or quantity killed.
- an act or instance of hitting or destroying a target, esp. an enemy aircraft.
- the target so hit or, esp., destroyed.
- See
kill
Pronunciation: (kil), [key]
— n. Chiefly New York State.
- a channel; creek; stream; river: used esp. in place names: Kill Van Kull.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.