From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Assassin \As*sas"sin\, noun [F. (cf. It. assassino), fr. Ar. 'hashishin one who has drunk of the hashish. Under its influence the Assassins of the East, followers of the Shaikh al-Jabal (Old Man of the Mountain), were said to commit the murders required by their chief.] One who kills, or attempts to kill, by surprise or secret assault; one who treacherously murders any one unprepared for defense.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Assassin \As*sas"sin\, verb (used with an object) To assassinate. [Obs.] --Stillingfleet.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a treacherous surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed; "his assassins were hunted down like animals"; "assassinators of kings and emperors" [syn: {assassinator}, {bravo}]
2: a member of a secret order of Muslims (founded in the 12th century) who terroriszed and killed Christian Crusaders
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
45 Moby Thesaurus words for "assassin": Cain, alarmist, apache, assassinator, bloodletter, bloodshedder, bomber, bravo, burker, butcher, button man, cannibal, cutthroat, desperado, eradicator, executioner, exterminator, garroter, gorilla, gun, gunman, gunsel, hatchet man, head-hunter, hit man, homicidal maniac, homicide, killer, man-eater, man-killer, manslayer, massacrer, matador, murderer, pesticide, poison, poisoner, scaremonger, slaughterer, slayer, strangler, terrorist, thug, torpedo, trigger man
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