Definition of "slaughter"

slaughter

/ˈslɔːtə/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural slaughters
1. (uncountable) The killing of animals, generally for food.
2. A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.
  Quotations
  For ſin, on war and mutual ſlaughter bent.
  1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book VI, 1773, The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Edinburgh, page 416
3. (rare) A mass destruction of non-living things.
  Quotations
  There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.
  1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425
4. A rout or decisive defeat.
5. A group of iguanas.
verb
third-person singular simple present slaughters, present participle slaughtering, simple past and past participle slaughtered
1. (transitive) To butcher animals, generally for food.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To massacre people in large numbers.
3. (transitive) To kill someone or something, especially in a particularly brutal manner.
  Quotations
  Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight,He that can take or ſlaughter Tamburlaine,Shall rule the Prouince of Albania.
  c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, (please specify the page)

Definition of "slaughter"

slaughter

noun

Quotations

Quotations

verb

Quotations