What does "assassinate" mean?
Assassinate: To assail with murderous intent; hence, by extended meaning, to maltreat exceedingly. [Archaic] Your rhymes assassinate our fame. Dryden. Such usage as your honorable lords Afford me, assassinated and betrayed. Milton. See Kill.
Additional senses
- 2.An assassination, murder, or murderous assault. [Obs.] If I had made an assassinate upon your father. B. Jonson.
- 3.An assassin. [Obs.] Dryden.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00