n. & v.
n. 1 the killing of an animal or animals for food. 2 the killing of many persons or animals at once or continuously; carnage, massacre.
v.tr. 1 kill (people) in a ruthless manner or on a great scale. 2 kill for food, butcher. 3 colloq. defeat utterly. slaughterer n. slaughterous adj.
[ ME slahter ult. f. ON sl tr butcher's meat, rel. to SLAY(1) ]