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mortífero

deadly

adjective mohr-TEE-feh-roh Rare

Origin: From Latin mortifer, from mors ('death') + ferre ('to carry').

Also means

lethal

Usage Note

Mortífero means capable of causing death, and sits at a higher register than the common mortal ('deadly, fatal'). It is typically applied to weapons, diseases, or substances — gas mortífero, veneno mortífero. The feminine is mortífera. In everyday speech letal or mortal are more frequent; mortífero is preferred in formal, literary, or journalistic writing when emphasis on the death-dealing nature is intended.

Examples

"El ejército utilizó un gas mortífero en el ataque."

Natural Translation

The army used a deadly gas in the attack.

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