slaughter

¹ American  

[slaw-ter] / ˈslɔ tər /

noun

1. the killing or butchering of cattle, sheep, etc., especially for food.

2. the brutal or violent killing of a person.

   Synonyms:

   murder

3. the killing of great numbers of people or animals indiscriminately; carnage.

   the slaughter of war.

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verb (used with object)

1. to kill or butcher (animals), especially for food.

2. to kill in a brutal or violent manner.

3. to slay in great numbers; massacre.

4. Informal. to defeat thoroughly; trounce.

   They slaughtered our team.

Slaughter ² American  

[slaw-ter] / ˈslɔ tər /

noun

1. Frank, 1908–2001, U.S. novelist and physician.

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slaughter British  

/ ˈslɔːtə /

noun

1. the killing of animals, esp for food

2. the savage killing of a person

3. the indiscriminate or brutal killing of large numbers of people, as in war; massacre

4. informal a resounding defeat

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verb

1. to kill (animals), esp for food

2. to kill in a brutal manner

3. to kill indiscriminately or in large numbers

4. informal to defeat resoundingly

slaughter Idioms  

1. see like a lamb to the slaughter.

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Related Words

Slaughter, butcher, massacre all imply violent and bloody methods of killing. Slaughter and butcher, primarily referring to the killing of animals for food, are used also of the brutal or indiscriminate killing of human beings: to slaughter cattle; to butcher a hog. Massacre indicates a general slaughtering of helpless or unresisting victims: to massacre the peasants of a region.

Other Word Forms

• slaughterer noun
• slaughteringly adverb
• slaughterous adjective
• unslaughtered adjective

Etymology

Origin of slaughter

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English slaghter, slahter, slauther (noun), from Old Norse slātr, earlier slāttr, slahtr

Explanation

Slaughter refers to the killing of large numbers of animals or people. When cattle are old enough, they're sent to slaughter and their meat is processed and shipped to stores. The noun slaughter was first used in the 1300s and comes from the Old Norse word slahtr, which also described the mass killing of animals or people. A verb form came along later, in the 1530s. You might hear slaughter used to describe the killing of large numbers of people in a war, a genocide, or a massacre. It also can be used figuratively to describe a crushing defeat, like the slaughter of your basketball team by your bitter rivals.

Example Sentences

"We are being brought to the slaughter house," says fishmonger Jaco Koman.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Thousands of striking workers in Colorado agreed to return to work, ending a three-week strike at a slaughter plant owned by JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

JBS’s Greeley plant can slaughter about 6,000 cattle a day, representing roughly 5% of U.S. beef-processing capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

CO2 is a key part of food and drink production and is used to stun livestock during slaughter as well as in packaging to keep food fresh, and in fizzy drinks.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Cows rescued from the slaughter could not have been happier.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• butcher
• crush
• decimate
• destroy
• liquidate
• maim
• massacre
• murder
• mutilate
• rout
• slay
• torture
• wipe out