Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
KILL
I. verb see: quell
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1. to deprive of life ; cause the death of, b. to slaughter (as a hog) for food, to convert a food animal into (a kind of meat) by slaughtering,
2. to put an end to , defeat , veto , to mark for omission, annihilate , destroy ,
3. to destroy the vital or essential quality of , to cause to stop , to check the flow of current through, to make a markedly favorable impression on , to get through uneventfully ,
6. to cause extreme pain to, to tire almost to the point of collapse, to hit (a shot) so hard in various games that a return is impossible, to consume (as a drink) totally, intransitive verb to deprive one of life, to make a markedly favorable impression , Synonyms: see: kill
II. noun
Date: 1814
1. an act or instance of killing, a decisive act that conclusively secures something (as a deal or win), something killed: as, a. an animal shot in a hunt, animals killed in a hunt, season, or particular period of time, an enemy unit (as an airplane or ship) destroyed by military action, a return shot in any of various games (as badminton, handball, or table tennis) that is too hard for an opponent to handle,
III. noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Dutch kil
Date: 1669
channel , creek