[əˈsas(ɪ)n], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a person who murders an important person for political or religious reasons
(e.g: he was shot dead by an unknown assassin)

- a member of the Nizari branch of Ismaili Muslims at the time of the Crusades, when the newly established sect ruled part of northern Persia (1094–1256). They were renowned as militant fanatics, and were popularly reputed to use hashish before going on murder missions


Phrases:

Origin:
early 16th century: from French, from Italian assassino, from Arabic ḥašīšī ‘member of Nizari branch of Ismaili Muslims’, literally ‘hashish-eater’, probably originally a derogatory nickname, with reference to the supposedly erratic behaviour of the members of the sect, as if they were intoxicated by hashish