manslayer means one who commits homicide or manslaughter. It carries an Arena rating of 1459, earned across 33 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, manslayer ranks #826 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #984 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #2,136 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #4,177 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
Why “manslayer” is a great word
One who kills another human being, whether intentionally or unintentionally. From Old English *mannslaga*, a compound of *man* ("human being") and *slayer* ("killer"). Unlike "murderer," which specifies a killing with malice aforethought, or "executioner," which denotes a lawful, public duty, "manslayer" is a colder, broader term, encompassing the battlefield casualty, the accidental discharge in the dark, and the crime of passion alike. It is the shudder of the blade finding its mark, the deafening silence after the carriage wheel crunches over an unseen child, the terrible pivot on which a life is ended and a different kind of life begins—a word that speaks not to motive, but only to the irreversible fact.
Etymology
From Middle English mansleere, man-slere, manslaer, from Old English mannslaga, equivalent to man + slayer.
noun
- One who commits homicide or manslaughtere.g.“The right of an accidental manslayer to flee to the protective custody of a city of refuge.” — 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 763:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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