Definition of slaughter
1 : the act of killing; specifically : the butchering of livestock for market
2 : killing of great numbers of human beings (as in battle or a massacre) : carnage
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Examples of slaughter in a Sentence
the slaughter of innocent people
all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter
Recent Examples of slaughter from the Web
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India’s supreme court suspended a government order banning the sale of cattle for slaughter.
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And so would the sheep Dittbrenner had sold to a dozen children to raise as a project for 4-H. The slaughter couldn't take place until federal reimbursement for the farmers was available.
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Cow slaughter is banned in several Indian states and punishment for the act is stringent, whereas justice for female victims of sexual violence is often delayed—if delivered at all.
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And a flurry of states moving to prohibit cattle slaughter have made many Indians wonder whether Hindu principles are becoming the law of the land under Modi's supposedly secular government.
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Sectarian slaughter crosshatches the early sections of the novel in the form of descriptions of a massacre that took place 20 years earlier in a pub.
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Ketamine might be used to sedate the animals during transport or before slaughter.
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Last year, friends and family dedicated 15 trees on Emanuel’s front lawn — one for each of the dead, the five people inside the church who survived the slaughter and one for the church’s congregation.
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Because people with the condition there are so visible in their communities, they are often forced to hide in their houses to avoid attack, abduction and slaughter.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slaughter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of slaughter
Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse slātra to slaughter; akin to Old English sleaht slaughter, slēan to slay — more at slay
slaughter
Definition of slaughter
Examples of slaughter in a Sentence
Our team got slaughtered yesterday.
modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day
Recent Examples of slaughter from the Web
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At 25, Alhamza has gone from regular college kid to heroic citizen journalist, one of a network of correspondents who operate an activist news service called Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently.
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The video included the former gas chambers, where the lawmaker narrated how Nazis systematically slaughtered the mostly Jewish prisoners.
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The suit alleged that accepting donations to slaughter chickens as part of the ancient Yom Kippur atonement rite known as Kaparot constitutes an unfair business practice.
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A gunman opens fire with a Kalashnikov at people dancing, drinking, and laughing in the new year, slaughtering thirty-nine of them before disappearing into the night.
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Sato's death leaves only about 25 giant tuskers left — 15 of which reside in Kenya — and adds to over 30,000 elephants slaughtered yearly for tusk ivory.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slaughter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of slaughter
1535
SLAUGHTER Defined for English Language Learners
slaughter
playDefinition of slaughter for English Language Learners
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: the act of killing animals for their meat
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: the violent killing of a large number of people
slaughter
Definition of slaughter for English Language Learners
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: to kill (an animal) for food
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: to kill (many people) in a very violent way
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: to defeat (someone or something) easily or completely
SLAUGHTER Defined for Kids
Definition of slaughter for Students
1 : the act of killing
2 : the act of killing and preparing animals for food
3 : destruction of many lives especially in battle
Learn More about slaughter
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See words that rhyme with slaughter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for slaughter Spanish Central: Translation of slaughter Nglish: Translation of slaughter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of slaughter for Arabic speakers
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