mur 
mur-t, " See mure 1 . 
mur 3 , murr 1 , n. [Also murre ; origin obscure.] 
If. A catarrh; a severe cold in the head and 
throat. 
With the pose, mur, and such like rheumes. 
Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 685. (JSncyc. Diet.) 
Some gentlemanly humour, 
The murr, the headache, the catarrh. 
Chapman, Mons. D'Olive, ii. 1. 
In sooth, madam, I have taken A murr, which makes my 
nose run most pathetically and unvulgarly. 
Marston, Antonio and Mellida, II., ill. 2. 
2. An epizootic disease, having some resem- 
blance to smallpox, which affects cattle and 
sheep, and is said to have been transferred to 
man. Dunglison. 
Muraena (mu-re'nii), . [NL., < L. mitrcena, 
murena, the'murena, a fish (> It. Sp. Pg. mu- 
rena = F. mureiie, a kind of eel, the lamprey), 
< Gr. uvpaiva, a sea-eel, lamprey, a fern, form, < 
uvpos, oftvpoe, a kind of sea-eel.] 1. The typical 
genus of Murcenidce. The name has been indiscrimi- 
nately applied to almost all the symbranchiate and true 
apodal fishes, but by successive limitations has become 
restricted to the European murry and closely related spe- 
cies. 
2. [7. c.] A fish of this genus. Also written 
nnirena. 
Muraenesocidae(mu-re-ne-8os'i-de), n.pl. [NL., 
< Mura-nesox (-esoc-) + -ld(e.] A family of en- 
chelycephalous apodal fishes, exemplified by 
the genus Murmiesox. They have a regular eel-like 
form, with pointed head, lateral nostrils and branchial 
apertures, and tongue not free. The family consists of a 
few tropical or subtropical sea-eels. 
Muraenesocina(mu-re"ne-so-si'na), n.pl. [NL., 
< Mumnesox (-esoc-) + -ina 2 '.] In Gunther's sys- 
tem, a group of Murceni&te platycMstve : same as 
the family Murcenesocidai. 
Muraenesox (mu-re'ne-soks), . [NL., < Mu- 
rama + Esox.] ' The typical genus of Mtiratne- 
socidoe, resembling Mimena, but with the snout 
extended like a pike's, whence the name. M. 
cinerus, an East Indian species, attains a length 
of 5 or 6 feet. 
Mursenidae (mu-re'ni-de), n. pi. [NL., < Mtt- 
rasna + -idee.] A family of apodal fishes, typi- 
fied by the genus Muraina. (a) In Bonaparte's sys- 
tem of classification, a family of Malacopteryyii, embracing 
all the Apodes as well as the Qymnati. (6) In Muller's and 
Giinther's systems, afamilyof physostomoua fishes of elon- 
gate-cylindric or cestoid shape, with the vent far from the 
head, no ventral fins, vertical flns, if these exist, confluent 
or separated by the tip of the tail, the sides of the upper jaw 
formed by the tooth-bearing maxillaries, the fore part by 
the intermaxillary (which is more or less coalescent with 
the vomer and ethmoid), and the shoulder-girdle not at- 
tached to the skull. It corresponds to the Apodes and 
Lyomeri of recent systematists. (c) In Cope's system, a 
family of Colocephali, with three or fewer opercular bones, 
no scapular arch, no glossohyal, and no osseous lateral 
branchihyals. 
muraenoid (mu-re'noid), a. and n. [< L. mu- 
rcena + Gr. el6o;, form.] I. a. Pertaining to 
the Murcenidce, or having their characters. 
II. . One of the Murcenidce. Sir J. Kichard- 
son. 
Muraenoididas (mu-re-noi'di-de), n. pi. [NL., 
< Murcenoides + -idcel] A family of blenniiform 
fishes, typified by the genus Murcenoides. Also 
called Xiphidiontidee. 
murage (mu'raj), n. [< F. murage (OF. muraige, 
a wall), < murer, wall: see mure^,v. Of. murager, 
murenger.] Money paid for keeping the walls 
of a town in repair. 
The grant of Muraffe by the sovereign for the privilege 
of fortifying the cities and repairing the walls. 
N. and Q., 7th ser., II. 275. 
muragert, n. See murenger. 
muraille (mu-ra-lya'), a. [F., walled, pp. of 
murailler, < muraille (= Pr. muralh = Sp. mu- 
raZto=Pg. muralha = it. muraglia), a wall, < mur, 
< L. murus, a wall: see mure^.] In7ter., walled. 
Also muralle. 
mural (mu'ral), a. and n. [< F. mural = Sp. 
Pg. mural = It. murale, < L. muralis, belonging 
to a wall, < murus, a wall: see mure 1 .] I. a. 1. 
Of or pertaining to a wall. 
Disburden'd heaven rejoiced, and soon repair'd 
Her mural breach. Milton, P. L., vi. 879. 
2. Placed on a wall ; of plants, trained on a wall. 
Where you desire mural fruit-trees should spread, gar- 
nish, and bear, cut smoothly off the next unbearing branch. 
Evelyn, Calendarium Hortense, January. 
These paintings, so wonderfully preserved in this small 
provincial town [Pompeii], are even now among the best 
specimens we possess of mural decoration. They excel 
the ornamentation of the Alhambra, as being more varied 
and more intellectual. J. Fergusson, Hist. Arch., I. 870. 
3. Resembling a wall; perpendicular or steep : 
as, a mural structure or formation. 4. In pa- 
thol., noting vesical calculi when rugous and 
3900 
covered with tubercles. Such calculi are com- 
posed of oxalate of lime, and are also called 
mulberry calculi.- Mural arch, a wall or walled arch, 
placed exactly in the plane of the meridian for the fix- 
ing of a large quadrant, sextant, or other instrument 
to observe the meridian altitudes, etc., of the heavenly 
bodies. Mural circle, an instrument which superseded 
the mural quadrant, and which has in its turn been su- 
perseded by the meridian- or transit-circle. It consists 
of an accurately divided circle, fastened to the face of a 
vertical wall with its plane in the plane of the meridian. 
It is furnished with a telescope and reading-microscopes, 
and is used to measure angular distances in the merid- 
ian, its principal use being to determine declinations of 
heavenly bodies. See transit-circle. Mural crown, a 
golden crown or circle of gold, indented and embattled, 
bestowed among the ancient Romans on him who first 
mounted the wall of a besieged place and there lodged a 
standard. Mural painting, a painting executed, espe- 
cially in distemper colors, upon the wall of a building. 
Mural quadrant, a large quadrant attached to a wall, 
formerly used for the same purposes as a mural circle. 
Mural standards. See standard. Mural tower, in 
miltt. arch., a tower strengthening a wall but not pro- 
jecting beyond it on the outside. O. T. Clark, Archal. 
liiat. Jour., I. 102. 
II. !. A wall. 
Now is the mural down between the two neighbours. 
Shak., M. N. D., v. 1. 208. 
muraled (mu'rald), a. [< mural + -erf 2 .] Made 
into a mural crown. 
Ardent to deck his brows with murald gold. 
J. Philips, Cerealia. 
murall6(mu-ral-a'), a. In her., same as muru Hie. 
murally (mu'ral-i), adv. In a form or arrange- 
ment resembling that of the stones in a wall. 
Murally divided spore-cells. 
E. Tuckerman, Genera Lichenum, p. 138. 
Muranese (mu-ra-nes' or-nez'), a. [< Murano 
(see def .) + -ese.'] Of or belonging to Murano, 
an island town near Venice, celebrated for its 
glass-manuf ac tories . 
Murano glass. See glass. 
Muratorian (mu-ra-to'ri-an), . [< Muratori 
(see def.) + -an.] Of or pertaining to L. A. 
Muratori (1672-1750), an Italian scholar Mu- 
ratorian fragment (or canon), a list of the New Testa- 
ment writings, edited by Muratori. It dates probably from 
the second century. 
The Muratorian fragment on the Canon must have been 
written about A. D. 170. Athenaeum, No. 3232, p. 447. 
muray (mu'ra), . Same as moray. 
murcnisonite (mer'chi-son-it), n. [Named after 
Sir Roderick I. llufokigon (1792-1871), a British 
geologist.] A mineral, a flesh-red variety of 
orthoclase or potash feldspar, occurring in the 
New Red Sandstone near Exeter, England. It 
shows brilliant golden-yellow reflections in a 
certain direction. 
murder (mer'der), n. [Also and more orig. 
miirther (now nearly obsolete); < ME. morder, 
mordre, morther, morthre, < AS. morthor, mor- 
tliur, murder, torment, deadly injury, mortal 
sin, great wickedness (= Goth, maurtlir, mur- 
der, > ML. munlrmn. OF. mortre, F. meitrtre, 
murder, homicide) ; with formative -or, < mortli, 
death, murder, homicide, destruction, mortal 
sin (> ME. murtit, slaughter, destruction: see 
murth), = OS. morth = OFries. morth, mord = D. 
moord = MLG. LG. mort = OHG. mord, MHG. 
mart, G. mord = Icel. mordh = Sw. Dan. mord, 
murder, = L. mor(t-)s, death, = Lith. smer- 
tis, death, akin to Gr. ftpordf, mortal, W. marw 
= Bret, man, death, L. mort, die (> martinis, 
dead), Skt. \/ mar, die : see mort 1 , mar ft, mor- 
tal, etc., immortal, ambrosia, amrita, etc.] 1. 
Homicide with malice aforethought ; as legal- 
ly defined, the unlawful killing of a human 
being, by a person of sound mind, by an act 
causing death within a year and a day there- 
after, with premeditated malice. 
What form of prayer 
Can serve my turn ? Forgive me my foul murder? 
That cannot be ; since I am still possess'd 
Of those effects for which I did the murder, 
My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. 
Shalt., Hamlet, iii. 3. 52. 
The name of murder (as a crime) was anciently applied 
only to the secret killing of another ; . . . and it was de- 
fined, homicidium quod nullo vldente, nullo sciente, clam 
perpetrator. Blackstone, Com., IV. xiv. 
2t. Slaughter; destruction. Agrarian murder. 
See agrarian. Murder will out, the crime of murder 
is not to be hid ; something is or will be disclosed which 
was meant to be kept concealed. Statute of mur- 
ders, an English statute of 1512 for the punishment of 
murder. 
murder (mer'der), r. t. [Also and more orig. 
iinirther; < ME. murdren, mordren, nuirtlii'r/ , 
morthren, < AS. myrthrian, in comp. for-iur- 
thrian.of-mi/rtliriiiii; cf. OFries. mortliia, nior- 
iti/i = IX moorden = OHG. murdjan, MHG. mur- 
doi.miirden, mordcu,G. ci'-morden = Icel. i>/i/nlli<i 
mure 
= Sw. miirda = L>an. inyrde = Goth, niaurtlirjan, 
murder; from the simpler form of the noun 
(OS. morth = OFries. mortli, etc.): see murder, 
n.] If. To kill; slay in or as in battle. 
.Man! of here misthi men [were] murdred to dethe; 
therfor the quen was earful. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2860. 
2. To kill (a human being) with premeditated 
malice; kill criminally. See murder, 11., 1. 3. 
To kill or slaughter in an inhuman or barba- 
rous manner. 
Calling death banishment, 
Thou cutt'stmy head off with a golden axe, 
And smilest upon the stroke that murders me. 
Shak., R. and J., iii. 3. 23. 
4. To destroy; put an end to. 
Canst thou quake and change thy colour, 
Murder thy breath in middle of a word, 
And then begin again, and stop again? 
Shak., Rich. III., iii. 5. 2. 
5. To abuse or violate grossly; mar by bad 
execution, pronunciation, representation, etc.: 
as, to murder the queen's English; the actor 
murdered the part he had to play Murdering 
bird or murdering pie, the shrike or butcher-bird. Also 
called nine-murder. = Syn. 2. Slay, Despatch, etc. See 
killi. 
murderer (mer'der-er), . [Also and more 
orig. murtherer; < ME. mordrere, morthcrer; < 
murder + -fi' 1 .] 1. A person who commits 
murder. 
In that Yle is no Thief, ne Mordrere, ne comoun Woman, 
ne pore beggere, ne nevere was man slayn in that Contree. 
Mandemtte, Travels, p. 292. 
2t. Some destructive piece of ordnance. One 
kind thus named was usually placed, on shipboard, at the 
bulkheads of the forecastle, half-deck, and steerage, and 
used to prevent an enemy from boarding. Also murdering- 
piece. 
But we, hauing a Murtherer in the round house, kept the 
Larbord side cleere, whilst our men with the other Ord- 
nance and Musquets playd vpon their ships. 
John Taylor, Works (1630). (Kares.) 
Mr. Vines landed his goods at Machias, and there set up 
a small wigwam, and left five men and two murderers to 
defend It. Winthrop, Hist. New England, II. 152. 
= Syn. 1. Manslayer, cutthroat, assassin, thug. SeeJKK', 
u. t. 
murderess (mer'der-es), n. [Also murdress; < 
murder + -ess.] Afemale who commits murder. 
Hast thou no end, O fate, of my affliction? 
Was I ordain'd to be a common murdress? 
Fletcher, Wife for a Mouth, v. 1. 
murdering-piecet (mer'der-ing-pes), w. If. 
Same as murderer, 2. 
O my dear Gertrude, this, 
Like to a murdering-piece-, in many places 
Gives me superfluous death. 
Shak., Hamlet, iv. 5. 95. 
A father's curses hit far off, and kill too ; 
And, like a murdering-piece, aim not at one, 
But all that stand within the dangerous level. 
Fletcher, Double Marriage, iv. 2. 
2. pi. Bits of old iron, nails, etc., with which a 
gun was loaded to sweep the decks of an enemy's 
ship. Also nmrdering-sliot. Bailey, 1731. 
murdermentt (mer'der-ment), 11. [< murder + 
-incut.] Murder. 
To her came message of the murderment. Fair/ax. 
murderous (mer'der-us), a. [Formerly also 
murtherous; < murder + -ous.] 1. Of the na- 
ture of murder; pertaining to or involved in 
murder: as, a murderous act. 
Since her British Arthur's blood 
By Mordred'smurtAerows hand was mingled with herflood. 
Drat/ton, Polyolbion, i. 184. 
If she has deform'd this earthly Life 
With murd'rous Rapine and seditious Strife, . . . 
In everlasting Darkness must she lie? 
Prior, Solomon, iii. 
2. Guilty of murder; delighting in murder. 
Enforced to fly 
Thence Into Egypt, till the murderous king 
Were dead who sought his life. 
Milton, P. R., it 76. 
3. Characterized by murder or bloody cruelty. 
Upon thy eye-balls murderous tyranny 
Sits in grim majesty, to fright the world. 
Shale., 2 Hen. VI., iii. 2, 49. 
4. Very brutal, cruel, or destructive. =Syn. San- 
guinary, bloodthirsty, blood-guilty, fell, savage. 
murderously (mer'der-us-li), ddi'. In a murder- 
ous or bloody manner. 
murdress (m'er'dres), w. [< OF. mvrdriere, F. 
mi'iirtrivre, a loophole.] 1. Amurderess. 2. In 
old fort., a battlement with interstices or loop- 
holes for firing through. 
mure 1 ! (mur), . [< F. mur = Sp. Pg. It. mum 
= AS. mur = OS. 'muni = OFries. inure = D. 
miiur = MLG. mure, = OHG. miira, mftri, MHG. 
uiiire, iiiini'c, G. niaucr = lool. murr = Sw. Dan. 
mur = Ir. mur, a wall, < L. murn.i, OL. mornix, 
moiron, a wall.] 1. A wall. 
