SLAUGHTER


Meaning of SLAUGHTER in English

/ ˈslɔːtə(r); NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun [ U ]

1.

the killing of animals for their meat :

cows taken for slaughter

2.

the cruel killing of large numbers of people at one time, especially in a war

SYN massacre :

the wholesale slaughter of innocent people

IDIOMS

see lamb noun

■ verb [ vn ]

1.

to kill an animal, usually for its meat

SYN butcher

2.

to kill a large number of people or animals violently

SYN massacre :

Men, women and children were slaughtered and villages destroyed.

3.

( informal ) to defeat sb/sth by a large number of points in a sports game, competition, etc. :

We were slaughtered 10–1 by the home team.

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WORD ORIGIN

Middle English (as a noun): from Old Norse slátr butcher's meat; related to slay . The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.