life-taker
|life-tak-er|
🇺🇸
/ˈlaɪfˌteɪkər/
🇬🇧
/ˈlaɪfˌteɪkə/
one who takes life
Etymology
'life-taker' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of 'life' + 'taker', where 'life' (from Old English 'līf') meant 'life' and 'taker' is derived from the verb 'take' meaning 'to seize or remove'.
'life-taker' developed as a Modern English compound combining Old English 'līf' (life) with a form related to the verb 'take' (the verb 'take' entered Middle English partly under influence from Old Norse 'taka'); over time these elements combined into compounds such as 'life-taker'.
Initially used in a straightforward, literal sense for 'one who takes life', it later broadened to include figurative uses referring to diseases, weapons, or abstract forces that cause death.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who kills others; a killer or murderer.
The city lived in fear after rumors spread that a life-taker stalked the streets.
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Noun 2
the personification of Death — an entity or figure (e.g., the Grim Reaper) that takes life.
In the folktale, a life-taker appears at midnight to claim the souls of the dying.
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Last updated: 2026/01/01 11:35