A killer is any person or thing that ends lives. The word is often used to refer to murderers, but it can also be applied to anyone who causes the death of another living being. For example, a killer storm could cause the death of many people, while a killing machine might be something that automatically destroys everything in its path. Killer is also a verb, meaning to end someone’s life, as well as an adjective that means severe or powerful.
The first known use of the noun killer was in 1525, but it’s more commonly associated with modern criminal activity. The word was originally formed from the verb kill, which means to end someone’s life, and the suffix er to indicate the person doing it. It was later adopted as a nickname for a murderer, and it eventually became the name of a gun brand.
There are many kinds of killers, including serial killers, spree killers, and mass murderers. A common characteristic of these people is that they commit their crimes impulsively, rather than planning them. This can make it harder to identify them and bring them to justice. In addition, they often leave behind forensic evidence, which can lead to their arrest.
Unlike regular murderers, serial killers often kill complete strangers. These individuals may be influenced by sexual desires or a desire to gain power and control. They may also be loners who fear relationships, and they seek to destroy other people to eliminate the possibility of being hurt or humiliated by them.
Researchers have found that some people are more likely to become serial killers, and this is sometimes attributed to childhood trauma or separation from their mothers. They may also have suffered damage to the parts of their brain that control empathy, and this can lead them to feel a need to dominate others.
The main difference between a regular murderer and a serial killer is their motive. While a regular murderer might have a personal vendetta against their victim, serial killers are usually driven by sexual desires and a need to fulfill arousing fantasies. They can be divided into four major types, with the visionary type claiming that they receive instructions from voices or visions, the mission-oriented killer, who sees their crimes as an effort to rid the world of a particular group of people, and the hedonistic type, who gets pleasure from the act of killing.
The term killer is also often used in sports and other activities to describe particularly impressive or deadly performances. A player who hits the ball a long distance or scores a goal with a spectacular strike is described as having made a killer shot. A game that goes into extra innings with a tied score is called a killer game. Heart disease is a real killer, but if you follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly, you can reduce your risk by taking daily supplements such as vitamin C.