slay

• POS: Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

slay, v. t. [OE. slan, sln, sleen, slee, AS. sleán to strike, beat, slay; akin to OFries. slā, D. slaan, OS. & OHG. slahan, G. schlagen, Icel. slā, Dan. slaae, Sw. sl, Goth. slahan; perhaps akin to L. lacerare to tear to pieces, Gr. , E. lacerate. Cf. Slaughter, Sledge a hammer, Sley.].

 To put to death with a weapon, or by violence; hence, to kill; to put an end to; to destroy.  [1913 Webster]
"With this sword then will I slay you both."  [1913 Webster]
"I will slay the last of them with the sword."  [1913 Webster]
"I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To kill; murder; slaughter; butcher.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

slay, v.tr. (past slew; past part. slain)
1 literary or joc. kill.
2 sl. overwhelm with delight; convulse with laughter.

Derivative

slayer n.

slay, var. of SLEY.

THESAURUS

slay

amuse, annihilate, assassinate, becharm, beguile, bereave of life, bewitch, bump off, butcher, captivate, carry away, carry off, charm, chloroform, convulse, cool, cut down, cut off, delectate, delight, deprive of life, destroy, dispatch, dispose of, divert, do away with, do for, do in, do to death, down, dust off, enchant, end, enliven, enrapture, enravish, entertain, enthrall, entrance, execute, exhilarate, exterminate, fascinate, finish, finish off, fracture one, freak out, immolate, imparadise, kill, knock dead, knock off, knock out, launch into eternity, lay low, liquidate, loosen up, lynch, make away with, martyr, martyrize, poison, purge, put away, put down, put to death, put to sleep, raise a laugh, raise a smile, ravish, recreate, refresh, regale, relax, remove from life, sacrifice, send, solace, starve, take life, take off, thrill, tickle, tickle pink, titillate, transport, wow

ROGET THESAURUS

slay

Killing

VB kill, put to death, slay, shed blood, murder, assassinate, butcher, slaughter, victimize, immolate, massacre, take away life, deprive of life, make away with, put an end to, despatch, dispatch, burke, settle, do for, strangle, garrote, hang, throttle, choke, stifle, suffocate, stop the breath, smother, asphyxiate, drown, saber, cut down, cut to pieces, cut the throat, jugulate, stab, run through the body, bayonet, eviscerate, put to the sword, put to the edge of the sword, shoot dead, blow one's brains out, brain, knock on the head, stone, lapidate, give a deathblow, deal a deathblow, give a quietus, give a coupe de grace, behead, bowstring, electrocute, gas, hunt, shoot, cut off, nip in the bud, launch into eternity, send to one's last account, sign one's death warrant, strike the death knell of, give no quarter, pour out blood like water, decimate, run amuck, wade knee deep in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, die a violent death, welter in one's blood, dash out one's brains, blow out one's brains, commit suicide, kill oneself, make away with oneself, put an end to oneself, put an end to it all.