tueuse

female killer, hit woman

noun tü-EUZ Rare

Origin: feminine form of 'tueur' (killer), from 'tuer' (to kill), origin uncertain

Usage Note

Tueuse is the feminine counterpart of tueur; the masculine tueur à gages and feminine tueuse à gages both mean 'contract killer' or 'hit man/woman'. The word is used both in crime fiction and real-world journalism. In informal speech, describing someone as une tueuse can hyperbolically mean she is formidably effective at something.

Examples

"La tueuse disparut sans laisser de trace."

Natural Translation

The female killer disappeared without a trace.

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