slaughter

1 of 2

noun

slaugh·​ter ˈslȯ-tər How to pronounce slaughter (audio)
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

slaughter

2 of 2

verb

slaughtered; slaughtering; slaughters

transitive verb

1
: to kill (animals) for food : butcher
2
a
: to kill in a bloody or violent manner : slay
b
: to kill in large numbers : massacre
3
: to discredit, defeat, or demolish completely
slaughterer noun

Examples of slaughter in a Sentence

Noun the slaughter of innocent people all civilized nations should protest this senseless slaughter Verb Our team got slaughtered yesterday. modern poultry farms slaughter a vast number of chickens every day
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For 100 straight days after the Colosseum opened in 80 C.E., tens of thousands of citizens packed into the amphitheater to ogle staged hunts and gladiatorial combat — or, to put it bluntly, the systematic slaughter of animals and men. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 The action largely has Rudolf and Hedwig living their everyday family lives just a few steps from the ovens and trains that were instruments in the slaughter of millions of Jews. Leanne Italie, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024 Such behavior resulted in Pope Innocent III’s papal push to exterminate these heretics—leading to a slaughter of between a quarter and a million Cathars in the 13th century during the Albigensian crusade. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Despite the high-tech gloss on the massacre, the result has been no different than the slaughter inflicted, with comparatively more primitive means, against Dresden and Tokyo during World War II. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Jan. 2024 The decision to seek the execution of the man who carried out the slaughter in Buffalo is a first for the Biden administration. Dan Higgins, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024 In the odd moment of grace, like when a butterfly lands on Agnes’ upturned face, or the many gory acts of slaughter and execution, the imagery braids blood and beauty together as in a crown of thorns. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Holding a parchment manuscript in her hands, she is simultaneously thrilled by the preservation of treasured words and repelled by the slaughter on which this miracle rests. Claudia Roth Pierpont, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Police are asking anyone with information on the horse slaughter to call Miami-Dade & The Florida Keys Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 or visit crimestoppers305.com. David Goodhue and, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
For instance, in West Africa, donkeys are being trafficked from landlocked countries before they are slaughtered in often gruesome conditions in border areas with nations that have access to the sea. Siyi Zhao, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 There are no substantive critiques of the higher-ups who sent so many of these men to slaughter and few real objections to the tactics the bombardment group ended up using. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 That mid-November afternoon, my head was lost in images of Kalashnikovs and shattered glass and young people slaughtered by the dozens in Paris. Jack Chang, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2024 But the practice has become rare - largely limited to some older people and specific restaurants - as more Koreans consider dogs as family pets and as criticism of how the dogs are slaughtered has grown. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 9 Jan. 2024 Not only were hogs cheaper to raise than sheep, but the farmers could slaughter the hogs in the fall and let the meat cure throughout the cold winter months. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 Horse killings in Miami-Dade This is not the first time that horses have been found slaughtered in Miami-Dade. David Goodhue and, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Because Hindus generally don’t eat cows, and Muslims tend to only eat animals that are slaughtered in a halal manner, many livestock carcasses were left for the birds. Meera Subramanian, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 While bird flu has been around for decades, the current outbreak of the virus that began in early 2022 has prompted officials to slaughter nearly 82 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens, in 47 U.S. states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Terry Chea, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slaughter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse slātra to slaughter; akin to Old English sleaht slaughter, slēan to slay — more at slay

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slaughter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slaughter

Cite this Entry

“Slaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slaughter. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slaughter

1 of 2 noun
slaugh·​ter ˈslȯt-ər How to pronounce slaughter (audio)
1
: the act of killing
especially : the butchering of livestock for market
2
: destruction of human lives in large numbers (as in war or a massacre)

slaughter

2 of 2 verb
1
: to kill an animal for food : butcher
2
: to kill without mercy or in large numbers : massacre
slaughterer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slaughter

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