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 of butcher

Noun

• blunderer
• incompetent

Verb

• 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

In This Article A trip to your local butcher or the meat department of your grocery store can cause confusion. — Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2026

After a tense year of sniping and trolling each other, the family members agreed to bury the butcher knife, and the Original Roy Hutchins empire added an Arlington location near AT&T Stadium. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Sep. 2026

Verb

Then, in 1863, a collection of Missouri Confederate Bushwhackers led by William Quantrill rode into Lawrence and butchered 150 men and boys. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

The butchering thing was a major complaint because the Commandos were expected to live off the land after their first day's rations ran out. — David Szondy august 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026

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 2

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