slaughter

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   kill (animals) usually for food consumption

   They slaughtered their only goat to survive the winter

2. 2
   noun

   A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.

   1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book VI, 1773, The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Edinburgh, page 416, For ſin, on war and mutual ſlaughter bent.

3. 3
   noun

   A mass destruction of non-living things.

   There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.

4. 4
   verb

   To massacre people in large numbers.

   Hurriedly he snatched up others, one or two at a time, until he had slaughtered thirty of Hrothgar's doughtiest earls.

5. 5
   verb

   To kill someone or something, especially in a particularly brutal manner.

   Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight, He that can take or ſlaughter Tamburlaine, Shall rule the Prouince of Albania.

6. 6
   noun

   the killing of animals (as for food)

7. 7
   noun

   the savage and excessive killing of many people

8. 8
   noun

   a sound defeat

Etymology

From Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse *slahtr, later sláttr, from Proto-Germanic *slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic *slahaną. Equivalent to slay + -ter (as in laughter). Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw”). Related with Dutch slachten, German schlachten, Finnish lahdata (all “to slaughter”).