slaughter
[ slaw-ter ]
/ ˈslɔ tər /
noun
the killing or butchering of cattle, sheep, etc., especially for food.
the brutal or violent killing of a person.
the killing of great numbers of people or animals indiscriminately; carnage: the slaughter of war.
verb (used with object)
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Origin of slaughter
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English slaghter, slahter, slauther (noun), from Old Norse slātr, earlier slāttr, slahtr
synonym study for slaughter
4-6. 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 WORDS FROM slaughter
slaugh·ter·er, nounslaugh·ter·ing·ly, adverbun·slaugh·tered, adjectiveWords nearby slaughter
Slatkin, slattern, slatternly, slatting, slaty, slaughter, slaughterhouse, slaughterman, slaughterous, Slav, slave
Definition for slaughter (2 of 2)
Slaughter
[ slaw-ter ]
/ ˈslɔ tər /
noun
Frank, 1908–2001, U.S. novelist and physician.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for slaughter
British Dictionary definitions for slaughter
slaughter
/ (ˈslɔːtə) /
noun
verb (tr)
Derived forms of slaughter
slaughterer, nounslaughterous, adjectiveWord Origin for slaughter
Old English sleaht; related to Old Norse slāttar hammering, slātr butchered meat, Old High German slahta, Gothic slauhts, German Schlacht battle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with slaughter
slaughter
see like a lamb to the slaughter.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.