serial killer
232
4.1
- noun
- /ˈsɪəriəl ˈkɪlər/
- NSFW
:
asesino en serie
- We're trying to interview all of the serial killers now in custody for a psychobehavioral profile.
- search for a serial killer
How about Illinois, home of the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy?
- How about Illinois, home of the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy?
- Roy was, you know, it was, he was a serial killer, no question.
- With a sudden alarm, a serial killer had attacked the four students.
- Hold on, is there a serial killer that wore glasses that look like this?
- First question is, is there a common theme among serial killers upon reading?
- And a lot of serial killers will target sex workers.
- You see, you do see serial killers keeping mementos, keeping trophies.
- Apparently, his real name is Kenneth Bianchi, an American serial killer, kidnapper and rapist.
- It's also the chase and trying to catch that serial killer.
- And he looks like either the nicest guy in the world or a serial killer.
- That's why all serial killers are so polite.
Examples
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With a sudden alarm, a serial killer had attacked the four students.
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He was a famous serial killer.
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Authorities believe it could be the work of a serial killer.
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OK, so most commonly a female serial killer will have both male and female victims.
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And a lot of serial killers will target sex workers.
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Worse, she must stop a serial killer who skins his female victims.
Academic text (2009) -
Ted Bundy is one of the United States' most notorious serial killers.
Academic text (2018) -
There's a serial killer going around, a major whacko.
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The police are investigating a series of murders believed to be committed by a serial killer who follows a specific pattern.
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Many documentaries focus on the lives of infamous serial killers and the psychological factors that drive their crimes.
Synonyms
∞
1.9
A person or animal that makes another living thing die on purpose
946
3.4
A person who illegally kills another person on purpose
6
7.3
A person who kills more than three people, usually one at a time, over a short time
How Deadly
- NSFW
33
7.7
- NSFW
- NSFW
232
4.1
- NSFW
946
3.4
- NSFW
∞
1.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who murders several people over time' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'serial' (occurring in a sequence) + 'killer' (a person who kills). This adjective+noun construction is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Serial killer comes from a simple image: a serial (a string or 'series') killer who kills one person after another. So, it means 'a person who kills several people over a period of time'.