assassin
as·sas·sin
noun \ə-ˈsa-sən\Definition of ASSASSIN
1
capitalized : a member of a Shia Muslim sect who at the time of the Crusades was sent out on a suicidal mission to murder prominent enemies
2
: a person who commits murder; especially : one who murders a politically important person either for hire or from fanatical motives
Examples of ASSASSIN
- John Wilkes Booth was the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.
- <shot down by an unknown assassin>
Origin of ASSASSIN
Medieval Latin assassinus, from Arabic ḥashshāshīn, plural of ḥashshāsh worthless person, literally, hashish user, from hashīsh hashish
First Known Use: circa 1520
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Rhymes with ASSASSIN
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