eOE Cleopatra Gloss. in W. G. Stryker Lat.-Old Eng. Gloss. in MS Cotton Cleopatra A.III (Ph.D. diss., Stanford Univ.) (1951) 358 Parricidium, myrþrunge.

c1385 G. Chaucer Knight's Tale 2001 The tresoun of the mordryng in the bed.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 342 Moorderynge [v.r. Morderyng], sicariacio, sicariatus.

?a1475 Noble Bk. Cookry in Middle Eng. Dict. at Morthering(e Tak a goos of a nyght and a day murdring and chope hir in the wort.

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxiii^v Put nat to many shepe in a penne at one time..for fere of murdering or ouer pressynge of their felowes.

a1525 (a1500) Sc. Troy Bk. (Douce) l. 1636 in C. Horstmann Barbour's Legendensammlung (1882) II. 274 For þai had þame in-to misleve And suspecte In-to mekile thinge Of Thelamonyus murtheringe.

1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie iv. xxxvi. 160 [The] cruel murthering of their ancient citizens.

1629 J. Cole Of Death 32 The murthering of a mans selfe to eschew any calamity or sorrow, doth not argue any valour, but cowardise rather.

1662 S. Pepys Diary 30 Jan. (1970) III. 20 Fast day for the murthering of the late King.

1705 Boston News-let. 22 Oct. 2/1 Erasmus Wilkins..being Legally Tryed and Convicted for Murdering of Lieutenant Wharton Featherstone-Hough..is Sentenced to be Executed.

1754 B. Franklin Pennsylvania Gaz. 9 May in Papers (1962) V. 274 The Back Settlers in Virginia, are so terrify'd by the Murdering and Scalping of the Family last Winter, and the Taking of this Fort, that they begin already to abandon their Plantations.

1827 P. Cunningham Two Years New S. Wales II. xx. 35 They..usually continue their murderings until, in retaliation, blood is expiated by blood.

1892 A. Conan Doyle Adventures Sherlock Holmes v. 122 Its power was used..principally for the terrorising of the negro voters and the murdering or driving from the country of those who were opposed to its views.

1919 Outing Mar. 318/2 I would find him [sc. a dog] harmlessly sleeping..no attacks upon the milk man, no further murderings of cats and chickens.

1995 J. Quinn O'o'a'a Bird 45 The landsmen live in truth, Their murdering done, their lives an ever-after.

1472–5 Rolls of Parl. VI. 160/1 They durst not present..the trouthe of the defautes..for drede of murdyng [read murdryng]..consideryng the grete nombre of the said Mysdoers.

1600 J. Jane in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) III. 844 The Captaine being..in danger of murthering, was constrained to vse leuitie.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Battery Battery de Revers, or Murdering Battery, is one that bears on the Back of any Place; and being placed on an Eminence, sees into it.

1583 T. Churchyard in R. Robinson tr. Aunc. Order Prince Arthure Commend. sig. ***3^v Murthering shot came in of late, when Bow in honor stood.

1628 R. Norton Gunner x. 52 Peeces that either shoote stone shot, Fireballes, Murthering Shot, or els no shot at all.

1688 J. Crowne Darius Epil. 70 You Sparks..Plant all your murdering shot against the Fair..And yet with all this terrible design, Sink not one Heart.

1550 T. Lever Fruitfull Serm. in Shroudes sig. C.vii As pickinge theft, is lesse then murtheryng robrye: so [etc.].

c1560 (title) Orations of Arsanes agaynst Philip the trecherous kyng of Macedone;..and of Scanderberg prayeng ayde of Christian Princes agaynst periurous murderyng Mahumet [etc.].

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iii. ii. 328 Their cheefest Prospect, murd'ring Basiliskes. View more context for this quotation

1667 J. Dryden Annus Mirabilis 1666 lv. 15 His murdering Guns aloud defiance roar.

1676 T. Hobbes tr. Homer Iliads v. 415 Mars, bloody, murthering Mars.

1761 Ann. Reg. 1760 11 These murdering wars which cut off so many experienced officers.

1790 J. B. Moreton Manners & Customs West India Islands 183 He horsewhips and shoots you dead with a murdering infamous tongue.

1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe III. i. 25 Turn, false-hearted Templar!... Turn, limb of a band of murdering robbers!

1859 W. Collins in All Year Round 13 Dec. 25 I struggled hard to force my eyes from the slow, murdering flame.

1912 J. Conrad Secret Sharer i, in 'Twixt Land & Sea 118 You'd have thought they were afraid I'd go about at night strangling people. Am I a murdering brute?

1984 A. Desai In Custody viii. 127 He threw her a murdering look.

1681 J. Chetham Angler's Vade Mecum iv. 46 In the Month of April, for Trouts, that 'tis a Murthering bait.

1662 J. Sparrow tr. J. Boehme 1st Apol. B. Tylcken in Remainder Bks. 1 Venomously, spitefully, hatefully, murtheringly.