noun
1 a person that kills
ADJECTIVE
▪ real
▪
I don't care what they ask me if it helps them find the real ~.
▪ accused , alleged , suspected
▪
the trial of her daughter's accused ~s
▪ would-be
▪
He turned to face his would-be ~.
▪ convicted
▪ notorious
▪ bloodthirsty , brutal , cold-blooded , ruthless , vicious
▪
Matthew's reputation as a cold-blooded ~
▪ crazed , psychopathic , psychotic
▪ mass , serial , spree ( AmE )
▪ contract , hired , professional , trained
▪ baby , child , cop , etc.
▪
a convicted child ~
VERB + KILLER
▪ hunt , track down
▪ catch , find , stop
▪
I want to stop the ~ before he strikes again.
▪ identify
▪
FBI agents identified his ~s.
▪ bring to justice
▪
I cannot rest until this ~ is brought to justice.
KILLER + VERB
▪ strike
▪
The ~ has struck again.
▪ stalk sb/sth
▪
For years the ~ stalked Detroit and its suburbs undetected.
▪ kill sb , murder sb
▪
a serial ~ who murders newlyweds on their honeymoon
KILLER + NOUN
▪ instinct ( figurative )
▪
He plays well but still lacks the ~ instinct.
▪ blow ( figurative , esp. BrE )
▪
Owen delivered the ~ blow soon after half-time.
2 a disease, etc. that kills
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , great , leading , major
▪
Overdoses were the single biggest ~ among the city's young.
▪
Diphtheria emerged as the leading ~ of children in the 1880s.
▪ deadly
▪
In the 19th century, cholera was one of Britain's deadliest ~s.
▪ silent
▪
High blood pressure is known as a silent ~.
▪ potential
▪
There is still no vaccine against this potential ~.
KILLER + NOUN
▪ bug ( BrE ), disease , strain , virus
▪
Heart attacks have become our number one ~ disease.
▪ storm ( esp. AmE ), wave
▪
This ~ storm is strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico.
▪
The ~ wave struck a tiny atoll in the Maldives.