1611,Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Assassinat”, inA Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London:[…] Adam Islip,→OCLC,signature G, recto, column 2:
Aſſaſſinat: m. A murther, ormurtherous act committed for gaine, or in hope of a revvard; alſo, a ſuddaine aſſault, made of ſet purpoſe, and vvith amurtherous intent, although th' aſſaulted be not killed.
1878 October, “A Tussle with Yellow Jack”, in G[eorge] Bampfield, editor,S. Andrew’s Magazine, volume I, number10, London:Burns & Oates,[…],→OCLC,page 1:
Every time I heard the bell strike, that denotes the time on board a ship, I full of terror counted the hours until four o'clock; feeling sure that when that hour came, my enemies would begin theirmurderous attack.
[O]ne minute this "Jihadi John" was struggling to get by, and get accepted, in drizzly England, unemployed with a mortgage to pay and a chip on his shoulder, and the next he stands in brilliant Levantine sunlight, where everything is clear and etched, at the vanguard of some Sunni Risorgimento intent on subjecting the world to itsmurderous brand of Wahhabi Islam.
1659,Richard Baxter, “Reproving Our Unwillingness to Die”, inThe Saints Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Glory.[…], 8th edition, London:[…] Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton,[…],→OCLC, part IV, section V,page603:
Is any man loth to leave his priſon? or to remove his dwelling from cruel enemies? or to ſcape the hands ofmurderous robbers? Do we take the world indeed for our priſon? our cruel, ſpoyling,murderous foe? and yet we are loth to leave it?
1662,John Reynolds, “History XI”, inThe Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the Crying and Execrable Sin of Murther.[…] Book III, London:[…] A. M. for William Lee,[…],→OCLC,page152:
De Salez her Husband ſtriving and ſtrugling for life againſt the pangs of death; fear and haſt (contrary to her intent and mind) had ſo made hismurtherous wifes hand ſhake and tremble, as ſhe did not ſo fully cut his throat-bole, but he could yet both cry and groan, which he did very mournfully, and which indeed was ſoon over-heard by a man and a maid-ſervant of his,[…]
Adam alſo was the High Prieſt, and received Authority from God, to teach the ſucceeding Generations of Men how to worſhip God, and what Sacrifices were to be offered byCain andAbel, and all Poſterity. By which Sacrifices were brought into all Nations, to apply the Blood of the Lamb, ſlain from the foundation of the World, in the unalterable Purpoſes of God, to the Conſciences of all Men for the Remiſſion of their Sins, and to ExcommunicatemurderousCain from the preſence of the Lord,[…]
1782,[Frederick the Great], “Book VI”, in[anonymous], transl.,The Art of War;[…] Translated from the French of the King of Prussia, 2nd edition, London:[…] G. Riley,[…],→OCLC,page56:
The rapid ſquadrons ſwift as thought engage, / And ſeek the hoſtile troops who ſhun their rage, / 'Midſt the thick clouds which ſmoak and duſt afford / With dreadful luſtre gleams themurderous ſword;[…]
1796,John Brown, “Of the Law of Nature”, inA Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion.[…], 2nd edition, Edinburgh:[…] Murray & Cochrane,→OCLC, book I (Of the Regulating Standard of Religion, Natural and Revealed),page25:
In neceſſary ſelf-defence men have a right to kill their aſſailants. Butduelling is unlawful andmurderous, a remain of the ancient Gothic barbarity.
, Oxford:Oxford University Press, March 2003;“murderous,adj.”, inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.