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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Eastwood plays the title character, a man reluctantly drawn into the Confederate side of the Civil War after the slaughter of his family. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024 Their anger at the Democrats is understandable, especially the anger of those who have lost many relatives in the slaughter. Caise D. Hassan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
This is left somewhat ambiguous, but it is implied that Agatha is buying time for Nick by slaughtering covens of witches as an offering to Death. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 In April of 1983, Hezbollah assaulted the U.S. Embassy in Beirut with a suicide truck bomb that slaughtered 63 people, including 17 Americans. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for slaughter 

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 14 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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