abattoir

noun

ab·​at·​toir ˈa-bə-ˌtwär 

-ˌtwȯr,

-ˌtȯr

plural abattoirs

: a place where animals are butchered : slaughterhouse

Mr. Foley worked previously at a pig abattoir and reckoned he was beyond such queasiness.

—Tony Horwitz

Bulls are precious, a good one fetching $400 or more at the abattoir …

—Peter Meredith

Examples of abattoir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump, born in 1946, has spent his entire life observing that order unmasking itself as the old imperial abattoir reborn: in the ashes of Korea, the killing fields of Indonesia, the burning jungles of Vietnam, the torture camps of the war on terror, and the bloody rubble of Gaza. —Erik Baker, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025

Compliments to production designer Pete Baxter, who made Tucker’s ship feel like a floating abattoir. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 17 May 2025

Richard makes a note to call the abattoir to pick it up. —Alice Burton, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2025

The meat comes directly from British abattoirs; thelangoustines are bought from a boat in Oban, Scotland, and the scallops are from fisheries in Devon, England, and Scotland. —Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from stem of abattre "to strike down, slaughter" + -oir -ory entry 1 — more at abate

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abattoir

• alcazar
• autocar
• avatar
• belshazzar
• caviar
• caviare
• cinnabar
• commissar
• condylar
• deodar
• handlebar
• isobar

Kids Definition

abattoir

noun

ab·​at·​toir ˈab-ə-ˌtwär 

: slaughterhouse