Etymology: < Middle French parricide (French parricide ) person who kills his or her father or mother, or other close relative, or a protector (1213 in Old French; c1200 as adjective), person who kills the ruler of or betrays his or her country (1213), person who kills his or her father (1373) < classical Latin parricīda (also pāricīdās ) a person who kills a near relative, a person who kills the ruler of or betrays his or her country, of uncertain origin (see note); the second element probably represents classical Latin -cīda -cide comb. form¹. See also patricide n.²It has been suggested that the first element derives from the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek πηός (Doric πᾱός ) kinsman by marriage, but this is not altogether satisfactory. In classical Latin authors the word came to be associated with classical Latin parēns parent n. and patr- , pater father (see pater n.²), the latter association being reflected also in the narrowing of meaning in English.

Etymology: < Middle French, French parricide killing of one's father or mother (c1160 in Old French), killing of a close relative (c1510), killing of the ruler of or betraying one's country < classical Latin parricīdium killing of a near relative, especially of one's father or of one's parent or parents, killing of the ruler of or betraying one's country, assassination (usually of a friend, superior, etc.), treachery, treason, rebellion < parricīda parricide n.¹ + -ium (see -y suffix⁴); compare -cide comb. form². Compare parricide n.¹, parricidy n.In legal codes in which distinctions are or were made between different kinds of murder, parricide may have various other legal consequences, for example in relation to succession of property.

Etymology: Apparently partly < parricide n.¹ and partly < parricide n.², probably partly after French parricide, adjective (c1200 in Old French). Compare slightly earlier parricidial adj.