— butcherer , n.
/booch"euhr/ , n.
1. a retail or wholesale dealer in meat.
2. a person who slaughters certain animals, or who dresses the flesh of animals, fish, or poultry, for food or market.
3. a person guilty of brutal or indiscriminate slaughter or murder.
4. a vendor who hawks newspapers, candy, beverages, etc., as on a train, at a stadium, etc.
v.t.
5. to slaughter or dress (animals, fish, or poultry) for market.
6. to kill indiscriminately or brutally.
7. to bungle; botch: to butcher a job.
[ 1250-1300; ME bocher bo ( u ) chier, equiv. to bo ( u ) c he-goat ( bucco-; cf. OIr boc, Welsh bwch; akin to BUCK 1 ) + -ier -IER 2 (see -ER 2 ) ]
Syn. 3. killer, cutthroat. 5, 6 . See slaughter .