nepoticide

/nəˈpɒtɪsaɪd/

Etymology

From Latin nepōs, nepōtis (“nephew”) + -cide.

Why this word is great

NEPOTICIDE — [Noun] The act of killing one's nephew, or one who commits such an act. From Latin nepōs, nepōtis ("nephew") + -cide ("killing"). Unlike "fratricide" (which stains the hands with a brother's blood) or "avunculicide" (which climbs the family tree in reverse), nepoticide is the severing of a lateral lineage, the extinguishing of a name before it can take root. It is Claudius poisoning young Hamlet's cup, the cold calculation of a throne secured by pruning its branches, or the quiet horror of realizing that dynasties are built not just on love but on its absence—the terrible arithmetic of power subtracting kin.

noun

  1. The killing of one's own nephew.“The new accusation brought by Urban against Manfred of murdering his sister-in-law's embassador – it may be observed that, tacitly, he acquits him of parricide, fratricide, and nepoticide – requires a little explanation.”
  2. One who kills his or her own nephew.“The fact that the Yongle emperor was therefore a usurper, regicide and nepoticide (nephew-killer) made compiling the Veritable Record – or official history – of his reign a most dangerous scholarly post. The official given this ticklish task managed to survive several drafts, finally producing one that pleased his master as it omitted the dead nephew's reign altogether.”