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Glite Dictionary
Murder, Inc.

Murder, Inc.

1 9.9
A group of paid killers in the 1930s and 1940s who worked for organized crime groups in United States cities
  • proper noun
  • /ˈmɜrdər ɪŋk/
  • NSFW
: Murder, Inc.
  • The testimony of a former Murder, Inc. member helped convict several mob bosses.

Examples

  • The FBI's investigation uncovered the deadly influence of Murder, Inc. in several major cities.

  • Many historians have written about Murder, Inc. and its infamous hitmen.

  • In the 1930s, Murder, Inc. was feared across the country.

  • Many movies have depicted the activities of Murder, Inc..

  • In the 1940s, police investigations uncovered the activities of the notorious group known as Murder, Inc.

  • Many feared Murder, Inc. due to their ruthless reputation in the organized crime world.

  • The infamous organization Murder, Inc. was believed to be responsible for countless contract killings.

Synonyms

crime syndicate
vsMurder, Inc.
10 4.5

An organized group of criminals who work together to do illegal things

is a focused enforcement unit within such groups that hires contract killers

Surface Forms

Murder, Inc. main

Morphology

Murder, + Inc.

The name combines the transparent lexical items 'murder' (killing) and 'Inc.' (incorporated/company), so a learner who knows both could plausibly infer 'a company/organization that does murder', giving a clear compositional cue. However, it is a proper-name historical reference and many B1 learners may not know the abbreviation 'Inc.' or the specific criminal/historical referent, so the exact cultural meaning is not fully predictable.

Etymology

The name Murder, Inc. came from reporters and police who used business words to show the gang worked like a company. They used Inc., which is short for 'incorporated', to give the image of a business that sold murder, so the name now refers to that group of 'hired killers'.