- killer
- noun1 a person that killsADJECTIVE▪ real▪
I don't care what they ask me if it helps them find the real killer.
▪ accused, alleged, suspected▪the trial of her daughter's accused killers
▪ would-be▪He turned to face his would-be killer.
▪ convicted▪ notorious▪ bloodthirsty, brutal, cold-blooded, ruthless, vicious▪Matthew's reputation as a cold-blooded killer
▪ crazed, psychopathic, psychotic▪ mass, serial, spree (AmE)▪ contract, hired, professional, trained▪ baby, child, cop, etc.▪a convicted child killer
VERB + KILLER▪ hunt, track down▪ catch, find, stop▪I want to stop the killer before he strikes again.
▪ identify▪FBI agents identified his killers.
▪ bring to justice▪I cannot rest until this killer is brought to justice.
KILLER + VERB▪ strike▪The killer has struck again.
▪ stalk sb/sth▪For years the killer stalked Detroit and its suburbs undetected.
▪ kill sb, murder sb▪a serial killer who murders newlyweds on their honeymoon
KILLER + NOUN▪ instinct (figurative)▪He plays well but still lacks the killer instinct.
▪ blow (figurative, esp. BrE)▪Owen delivered the killer blow soon after half-time.
2 a disease, etc. that killsADJECTIVE▪ big, great, leading, major▪Overdoses were the single biggest killer among the city's young.
▪Diphtheria emerged as the leading killer of children in the 1880s.
▪ deadly▪In the 19th century, cholera was one of Britain's deadliest killers.
▪ silent▪High blood pressure is known as a silent killer.
▪ potential▪There is still no vaccine against this potential killer.
KILLER + NOUN▪ bug (BrE), disease, strain, virus▪Heart attacks have become our number one killer disease.
▪ storm (esp. AmE), wave▪This killer storm is strengthening rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico.
▪The killer wave struck a tiny atoll in the Maldives.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
