Home › Glossary › Letter M

Murd'rer

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Murd'rer is an archaic poetic contraction of 'murderer,' used to heighten dramatic tension or maintain meter.

Detailed Definition
The term 'Murd'rer' is an old-fashioned spelling of 'murderer,' used in literary contexts to evoke a sense of historical or dramatic weight. In the poem, it emphasizes the dark and treacherous nature of the character being described, highlighting their violent actions throughout their life.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Liar, Traitor, Murd'rer through all thy life" from historical dramas; enhanced: "Liar, Traitor, Murd'rer through all thy life—HERO and KING at Bosworth's fatal strife!"; Shakespearean: "Murd'rer most foul"; contemporary: "Echoes of Murd'rer in political verse"; educational: "Murd'rer archaic spelling in Jacobean tragedy"; "Accusations fly: Murd'rer of dreams."
Additional Notes
The word 'Murd'rer' appears in the line describing the character's violent nature, making it a fitting entry for the glossary.; Found in the poem, Richard III by James Edwin Campbell
Also Known As
slayer assassin bloodied hand night-killer
Skip to main content