c1440 (?c1380–1400) Of Shrifte & Penance (St. John's Cambr. G. 30) (1998) 100 Ȝe schul nat drawe no man ovt of chirche, but mankyllinge he hadde do þerinne or oþer outrageous mysdede þat were aȝenst þe fredome of holy chirche.

1668 E. Howard Usurper iv. 50 I thank my Stars, (When I left my own Trade to follow Man-killing) I had a Benefit from my Fears, and could wake At the Motion of a Field-mouse.

1693 J. Dryden tr. Persius Satires iii. 39 A Spark, like thee, of the Man-killing Trade.

1794 J. C. Cross Apparition ii. 29 The lass has much skill in (like most maids) man-killing.

1805 J. B. Linn Valerian i. 24 Such unthrifty warfare, such rude sport, Next to man-killing, most delights his soul.

1840 R. H. Dana Two Years before Mast xxxii. 410 Furling one yard-arm of a course, at a time, off Cape horn, is no better than man-killing.

1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick xcviii. 477 Away they fly to fight another whale... Oh! my friends, but this is man-killing! Yet this is life.

1880 Chambers's Jrnl. 15 May 316/2 These cattle-devouring tigers..seldom take to man-killing.

1908 Westm. Gaz. 18 Aug. 5/1 Public interest in the psychology of man-killing..has been greatly excited.

1985 J. M. Roberts Triumph of West xii. 376 For four and a half years, a man was killed or died in Europe every twelve or fifteen seconds. Man-killing had never been so efficient.

?1611 G. Chapman tr. Homer Iliads xiii. 184 And Hector, like man-killing Mars, aduanc't before them all.

1684 J. Harington tr. Horace Odes & Epodon Epod. xvii. 113 Joy'd Trojan wives embalm'd, though long detain'd, Man-killing Hector's Corps.

1706 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus I. xii. 17 His old decrepit Pad, With all the Trappings of the Jade, Had both their Youth and Beauty lost In some Man-killing War-like Post.

1767 W. Harte Amaranth 125 Scorn'd be the bard, and banish'd ev'n from schools, Who first immortaliz'd man-killing fools.

1891 A. Forbes in Daily News 29 Dec. 2/1 The mankilling power of artillery.

1899 Times 27 Sept. 6/2 A new invention, either man-killing or labour-saving.

1922 Encycl. Brit. XXX. 120/2 The shell body is stronger and there is thick metal for man-killing splinters.

1991 L. Sante Low Life iii. i. 211 Such once-famous murderers as..Annie Walden, the Man-Killing Race-Track Girl.