slaughter

1 of 2

noun

slaugh·​ter ˈslȯ-tər 

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

ˈslȯ-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• bloodbath
• butchery
• carnage
• death
• holocaust
• massacre

Verb

• butcher
• massacre
• mow (down)

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

Just last month, Fox News Digital reported that UNRWA was forced to fire nine employees because of their likely involvement in Hamas’s slaughter of nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7 in southern Israel. —Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 22 Sep. 2024

But there’s a crucial difference: At that time, world leaders, celebrities and university students vigorously protested the slaughter and joined forces to save hundreds of thousands of lives. —Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024

Verb

But their wedding day is destroyed by Thor (Pilou Asbæk), who slaughters her family of giants, sending Sigrid on a vengeful rampage. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2024

Their wedding night is interrupted by the sudden emergence of Thor (Pilou Asbæk), the God of Thunder, who slaughters Sigrid's family and destroys their village. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing slaughter

• like a lamb to the slaughter
• pre-slaughter
• self-slaughter

Kids Definition

slaughter

1 of 2 noun

slaugh·​ter ˈslȯt-ər 

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

ˈslȯt-ər-ər 

noun