killer

killer, hitman

noun KEEL-ler Rare

Origin: English loanword adopted in Italian crime reporting.

Usage Note

Killer is an English loanword used in Italian primarily to mean a hired assassin or hitman: un killer a pagamento. It is invariable in form and can be masculine or feminine depending on the referent, though il killer is the default. Unlike English, where 'killer' covers any agent of killing, Italian restricts it to professional or contract killing; ordinary killers are assassini or omicidi.

Examples

"La polizia ha arrestato il presunto killer."

Natural Translation

The police arrested the alleged hitman.

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