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.
Derivatives:
slaughterer n. slaughterous adj.
Etymology: ME slahter ult. f. ON sl{aacute}tr butcher's meat, rel. to SLAY(1)