• Fratricide

    Origin

    From Latin frater ("brother") + caedere ("to kill"). Equivalent to + -cide.

    Full definition of fratricide

    Noun

    fratricide

    (plural fratricides)
    1. The killing of one's brother (or sister).
    2. A person who commits this crime.
      • 1936, H. A. L. Fisher, A History of Europe, Edward Arnold Publishers, p.376,The conversion of Russia to Christianity was effected, it would seem by a monster of cruelty and lust. That Vladimir (980 - 1015) was a fratricide, who maintained 3,500 concubines, has not prevented his canonization as a saint.
    3. (military, by extension) The intentional or unintentional killing of a comrade in arms.
      • 1999, Richard M. Swain, Lucky War: Third Army in Desert Storm, DIANE Publishing, page 180,From January on, Third Army also spent a good deal of energy trying to solve the problem of fratricide, the killing or injuring of one's own forces by what is ironically called 'friendly fire,'...

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