massacre

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The cruel killing of a large number of people who cannot defend themselves.

   The village was the scene of a terrible massacre during the war.

2. 2
   verb

   To kill a large number of people cruelly and all at once.

   Hundreds of unarmed civilians were massacred in the attack.

3. 3
   verb

   To defeat someone very heavily in a game or contest.

   Our team was massacred six to nothing.

Simplified etymology

Massacre entered English in the late 16th century from French and derives from Old French macecre, meaning “slaughterhouse” or “butcher’s shop.”

1580, from Middle French massacre, from Old French macacre, marcacre, macecre, macecle (“slaughterhouse, butchery”), usually thought to be deverbal from Old French macecrer, macecler (“to slaughter”), though the noun seems to be attested somewhat earlier. It is also found in Medieval Latin mazacrium (“massacre, slaughter, killing”, also “the head of a newly killed stag”). Further origin disputed: * From Latin macellum (“butcher shop”). * From Vulgar Latin *matteuculāre, from *matteuca (cf. massue), from Late Latin mattea, mattia, from Latin mateola. * From Middle Low German *matskelen (“to mas…

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