slaughter

[ slaw-ter ]

/ ˈslɔ tər /

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See synonyms for slaughter on Thesaurus.com

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)

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

to kill in a brutal or violent manner.

to slay in great numbers; massacre.

Informal. to defeat thoroughly; trounce: They slaughtered our team.

SYNONYMS FOR slaughter

2 murder.

See synonyms for slaughter on Thesaurus.com

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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, adjective

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

Now, in Denmark, one of the world’s major fur exporters, over 15 million mink at 1,000 farms are now scheduled for slaughter.
The CDC released a COVID-19 test knowing it had a high failure rate|Rachael Zisk|November 9, 2020|Popular Science
Owners worried about their bottom line at that moment but did not want to slaughter potentially productive animals.
The idea of herd immunity to manage the coronavirus should ring alarm bells|Rebecca Kaplan|October 30, 2020|Washington Post
After the industrial slaughter of whales ended in the mid-1900s, scientists estimated that nearly 99 percent of the planet’s blue whales had been completely wiped out.
Whale ‘roadkill’ is on the rise off California. A new detection system could help.|Erik Olsen|September 29, 2020|Popular Science
It’s likely that one day in the future—maybe distant, maybe not so much—we’ll look back in disbelief at the way we used to raise and slaughter entire animals just to get a few cuts of their flesh.
This Startup Is Growing Sushi-Grade Salmon From Cells in a Lab|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|September 16, 2020|Singularity Hub

With plant slowdowns came a backlog of pigs, cows and chickens waiting for slaughter.
Emails Show the Meatpacking Industry Drafted an Executive Order to Keep Plants Open|by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung|September 14, 2020|ProPublica
Many mercenaries slaughtered their way to power, casually betraying even close family to secure their fortunes.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth|Nick Romeo|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are just coming off the midterm elections, too, where the Democrats got slaughtered.
Jon Stewart Talks ‘Rosewater’ and the ‘Chickensh-t’ Democrats’ Midterm Massacre|Marlow Stern|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Assad, for his part, has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of his own people, most likely with little regard for their dignity.
Rand Paul Channels Malala to Bash Obama|Olivia Nuzzi|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or the Hutus who slaughtered their way through 800,000 Tutsis over the course of three months?
ISIS and BS|Amal Ghandour|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Last month, dozens were abducted and slaughtered—by the police.
Anatomy of a Mexican Student Massacre|Jason McGahan|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The revenge of the Portuguese was horrible, the Cahetes were hunted, slaughtered, and all but exterminated.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
Their version of the position was that “great fighting took place daily and the Nazarenes were being slaughtered in hundreds.”
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Unhappily thousands of harmless citizens were slaughtered side by side with the mutineers.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
At fifty yards' range, armed only with bows and spears, they were at the mercy of riflemen and could stand only to be slaughtered.
Overland|John William De Forest
But of course you do, for it seems almost yesterday that the Maine went down with her slaughtered crew.
Stories of Our Naval Heroes|Various

British Dictionary definitions for slaughter

slaughter

/ (ˈslɔːtə) /

noun

the killing of animals, esp for food

the savage killing of a person

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

informal a resounding defeat

verb (tr)

to kill (animals), esp for food

to kill in a brutal manner

to kill indiscriminately or in large numbers

informal to defeat resoundingly

Derived forms of slaughter

slaughterer, nounslaughterous, adjective

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with slaughter

slaughter

see like a lamb to the slaughter.

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