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

Since his family had cows on their farm, Riffle said his parents would occasionally have their cows’ meat processed at a local butcher’s shop. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025

Once, several neighbors witnessed the angry wife chasing William down a Brooklyn street, waving a butcher knife. Quarrels between the women had raged all day while William was at work in the hours before the murder. —Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025

Verb

There, several members yanked Junior out of the deli and butchered him with knives and a machete. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025

The harvests became community events where younger tribal members learned how their ancestors butchered and used the buffalo. —Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 28 May 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