hecatomb
noun
hec·a·tomb
ˈhe-kə-ˌtōm 
1
: an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen or cattle
2
: the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims
Examples of hecatomb in a Sentence
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And if, as Gawande suggests, an individual surgeon’s expertise proceeds by means of a calculated willingness to make mistakes, then the profession marches forward only by trampling over a hecatomb of nameless victims.
—
Will Self, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
The vast majority of this hecatomb would be people with limited life expectancies.
—John P.a. Ioannidis, STAT, 17 Mar. 2020
After the hecatombs created in communism’s name, such a call to arms is evidence of a faith untroubled when prophecy fails again and again.
—Andrew Stuttaford, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
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Will Self, Harper’s Magazine , 28 Sep. 2022
The vast majority of this hecatomb would be people with limited life expectancies.
—John P.a. Ioannidis, STAT, 17 Mar. 2020
After the hecatombs created in communism’s name, such a call to arms is evidence of a faith untroubled when prophecy fails again and again.
—Andrew Stuttaford, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Hecatomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hecatomb. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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