Plural of assassin; people who murder someone, usually an important person, for political or hired reasons.
From Arabic 'hashashin,' referring to a medieval Islamic sect called the Assassins. The name possibly derives from 'hashish,' though this etymology is disputed. The term became synonymous with political murderers.
The Assassins were a real medieval Islamic group, and their fearsome reputation was so powerful that their name became the English word for any hired killer—a name that stuck for nearly 1,000 years!
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