assassination; assassin; murderer
Refers to the act of killing a person with a blade, or the person who does it. Often used in historical or dramatic contexts, especially for sword-wielding assassins.
He is known as a famous assassin from the end of the Edo period.
It was rumored that the incident was an assassination.
Standard kanji spelling. 斬り carries a nuance of cutting or slashing a person.
Alternative spelling using 切る. Less common but still encountered.
Compound of 人 (ひと, person) and 斬り (きり, cutting), the nominalized form of 斬る (きる, to cut with a blade). The spelling 斬り emphasizes cutting with a sword or similar weapon.