▪ I. murdering, vbl. n.
(ˈmɜːdərɪŋ)
[f. murder v. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb murder; also, an act of committing murder.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1143 The treson of the mordring in the bedde. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 342/2 Moorderynge, sicariacio, sicariatus. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xxxvi. 160 [The] cruel murthering of their ancient citizens. 1629 J. Cole Of Death 32 The murthering of a mans selfe to eschew any calamity or sorrow, doth not argue any valour, but cowardise rather. 1828 P. Cunningham N.S. Wales (ed. 3) II. 28 They..usually continue their murderings until, in retaliation, blood is expiated by blood. |
| transf. 14.. Noble Bk. Cookry (1882) 86 Tak a goos of a nyght and a day murdring and chope hir in the wort in the same manner. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §51 Put not to many shepe in a penne at one tyme..for feare of murtheryng or ouer pressyng of their felowes. |
† b. In passive sense. Obs.
| 1472–5 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 160/1 [The witnesses said they dared not to present the truth] for drede of murd[r]yng, and to be myscheved in their owne houses. 1600 J. Jane in Hakluyt's Voy. III. 844 The Captaine being in danger of murthering, was constrained to vse leuitie. |
† c. attrib.: murdering battery (see quot.); murdering shot, shot used in a ‘murdering piece’.
| 1628 R. Norton Gunner x. 52 Peeces that either shoote stone shot, Fireballes, Murthering Shot, or els no shot at all. 1727–51 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Battery, Battery de revers, or murdering battery, is one that plays on the back of any place: and being placed on an eminence, sees into it. |
▪ II. ˈmurdering, ppl. a.
[f. murder v. + -ing2.]
That murders or commits murder. lit. and fig.
| 1550 Lever Serm. (Arb.) 38 As pickinge theft, is lesse then murtheryng robrye: so [etc.]. c 1560 (title) Orations of Arsanes agaynst Philip the trecherous kyng of Macedone;..and of Scanderberg prayeng ayde of Christian Princes agaynst periurous murderyng Mahumet [etc.]. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 324 Their cheefest Prospect, murd'ring Basiliskes. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. lv, His murdering guns a loud defiance roar. 1676 Hobbes Iliad v. 415 Mars, bloody, murthering Mars. 1760 Ann. Reg. 11 These murdering wars which cut off so many experienced officers. 1790 J. B. Moreton Mann. W. Ind. 183 He horsewhips and shoots you dead with a murdering infamous tongue. 1859 W. Collins ‘Blow up with the Brig!’, I struggled hard to force my eyes from the slow, murdering flame. |
† b. Of bait; cf. killing ppl. a. 1 b. Obs. rare—1.
| 1681 J. Chetham Angler's Vade-m. iv. §26 (1689) 57 In the month of April, for Trouts, that 'tis A Murthering Bait. |
Hence † ˈmurderingly adv.
| 1662 J. Sparrow tr. Behme's Rem. Wks., 1st Apol. Balth. Tylcken 1 Venomously, spitefully, hatefully, murtheringly. |