butcher

1 of 2

noun

butch·​er ˈbu̇-chər 

1

a

: a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh

b

: a dealer in meat

2

: one that kills ruthlessly or brutally

3

: one that bungles or botches

4

: a vendor especially on trains or in theaters

butcher

2 of 2

verb

butchered; butchering ˈbu̇-chə-riŋ 

ˈbu̇ch-

transitive verb

1

: to slaughter and dress for market

butcher hogs

2

: to kill in a barbarous manner

3

: botch

butchered the play

Synonyms

Noun

• blunderbuss
• blunderer
• botcher
• bumbler
• bungler
• fumbler
• screwup

Verb

• massacre
• mow (down)
• slaughter

Examples of butcher in a Sentence

Noun

the newest intern on the campaign is a butcher when it comes to writing press releases

Verb

They've hired someone to butcher the hogs.

Many innocent people were butchered under his regime.

The band has butchered my favorite song.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Features will include a butcher shop, specialty cheese shop and fresh flower market in addition to produce, seafood, bakery, prepared foods and grocery departments, the release said. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025

Proteins come from local butchers, seafood mongers, etc. —Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

Verb

The rest of the animal was butchered and the resulting cuts of meat distributed. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 16 May 2025

Some of the bustard remains show evidence of being butchered and cooked, with cut marks similar to those made on modern-day turkeys after Thanksgiving, researchers said in an April 16 news release from the Natural History Museum in London. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bocher, from Anglo-French, from buc he-goat, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish bocc he-goat — more at buck entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing butcher

• butcher-bird
• butcher block
• butcher paper
• have/take a butcher's

Kids Definition

butcher

1 of 2 noun

butch·​er ˈbu̇ch-ər 

1

a

: one whose business is killing animals for sale as food

b

: a dealer in meat

2

: a person who kills in large numbers or in a brutal manner

butcher

2 of 2 verb

butchered; butchering -(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to slaughter and prepare for market

butcher hogs

2

: to kill in a barbarous manner : massacre

3

: to make a mess of : botch

butchered the performance