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Assassin vs Ninja - What's the difference?

assassin | ninja |

As nouns the difference between assassin and ninja

is that assassin is a member of a Muslim militant group responsible for murdering Christian leaders during the Crusades while ninja is a person trained primarily in stealth, espionage, assassination and the Japanese martial art of ninjutsu.

As verbs the difference between assassin and ninja

is that assassin is to assassinate while ninja is to act in the manner of a ninja, especially in the areas of speed and power.

assassin

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (historical) A member of a Muslim militant group responsible for murdering Christian leaders during the Crusades.
  • *, II.29:
  • The Assassines , a nation depending of Phœnicia, are esteemed among the Mahometists of a soveraigne devotion and puritie of maners; they hold, that the readiest and shortest way to gaine Paradise, is to kill some one of a contrary religion.
  • Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Travels and travails , passage=Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin , a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.}}
  • Any ruthless killer.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * (assassin spider) * assassinate * assassination * assassinator * assassinatrix * assassinous * royal assassin

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (nonstandard) To assassinate.
  • ninja

    English

    (wikipedia ninja)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (martial arts, historical) A person trained primarily in stealth, espionage, assassination and the Japanese martial art of ninjutsu.
  • A Mongolian amateurish private miner (mainly for gold); after the shape of the plastic bowls used to wash metal ore with mercury, roughly resembling one of the .
  • * 2007 October 10, Jonathan Watts, "Prospectors and 'ninja' miners flood to east's El Dorado" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/10/international.mainsection1], The Guardian ,
  • Many were former nomads, but as the gold rush gathered pace, students, vets and taxi drivers from Ulan Bator joined the ninjas , not just in Ogoomor but in other gold towns across the country.
  • (slang) Juggalo version of the epithet "nigga".
  • What up, my ninja !

    Coordinate terms

    * kunoichi * shinobi

    Derived terms

    * ninjitsu * ninjette

    Verb

  • To act in the manner of a , especially in the areas of speed and power.
  • (gaming, slang) To claim an item in a game by abusing game mechanics, often despite having no real need for the item or ability to use it.
  • That damn warrior ninja'd an epic-quality wand even though he can't even use it!
  • (Internet, slang) To post a response on a message board immediately before someone else unknowingly posts a response saying the same thing.
  • When I answered the OP's question, I saw that Porthos had ninja'd me by posting the same answer just before I did.