Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who kills a word or words.
  • noun The killing of a word, in a figurative sense; perversion of a word from its proper meaning, as in punning.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • “Lord,” and contemplate the following couplet which one cannot make rhyme without actual verbicide: ” “Where feeds the moose, and walks the surly bear,

    Ralph Waldo Emerson Holmes, Oliver W 1891

  • "Lord," and contemplate the following couplet which one cannot make rhyme without actual verbicide: --

    Complete Project Gutenberg Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Works Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851

  • Homicide and verbicide -- that is, violent treatment of a word with fatal results to its legitimate meaning, which is its life -- are alike forbidden.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Works Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851

  • Homicide and verbicide -- that is, violent treatment of a word with fatal results to its legitimate meaning, which is its life -- are alike forbidden.

    Autocrat of the Breakfast Table Oliver Wendell Holmes 1851

Comments

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  • Apparently, willful disregard for the meaning of a word, or using it in such a way, a distorter, a wormtongue. And, in that wonderful way -cide words often have, refers to the person who does so as well.

    However, when I first saw it, I thought of linguicide, which figures heavy in efforts to combat language extinction.

    December 18, 2007

  • Sounds like you're doing away with your pasta.

    December 18, 2007

  • JM is, like, upset, like, about, like, verbicide.

    March 24, 2011