slaughter
English · Thesaurus
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slaughter¹
- /ˈslɔːtə/ UK
- /ˈsloːtə/ Australia, British, New Zealand
- /ˈslɔtəɾ/ Scotland
- /ˈslɔtɚ/ US
- [ˈslɔɾɚ] US
- /ˈslɑtɚ/ US, cot caught merger
- [ˈslɑɾɚ] US, cot caught merger
Sounds like slotter (cot–caught merger) · Rhymes with -ɔːtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
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”).
noun slaughters · slaughtre
- The killing of animals, generally for food.
- 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.
- 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.
- A rout or decisive defeat.
-
A group of iguanas.
Similar: mess
verb slaughters · slaughtering · slaughtered · slaughtre
- To butcher animals, generally for food.
- 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.
- 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.
Slaughter²
Where it comes from
Originally named for someone who slaughtered animals for food.
proper noun
- A surname.
- A town in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, from the surname.
Slaughter³
Where it comes from
See Slaughters.
proper noun
- Used in the placenames of the Slaughters, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: butchery, butcher, whipping, thrashing, drubbing, mow down, massacre, carnage, walloping, debacle, trouncing, slaughterhouse, abattoir, meat, beef, harvest
Translations
Every language
noun killing of many people
| Español | matanza, masacre, carnicería |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 학살 haksal |
| 日本語 | 虐殺 gyakusatsu, 惨殺 zansatsu, 殺戮 satsuriku |
| 中文 | 屠殺 /屠杀 túshā, 慘案 /惨案 cǎn'àn, 慘殺 /惨杀 cǎnshā, 殺戮 /杀戮 shālù |
| Português | carnificina, matança, massacre, chacina |
| Français | carnage, tuerie, massacre |
| Deutsch | Schlachtung, Schlächterei, Gemetzel, Metzelei |
| Italiano | mattanza, carneficina, massacro |
| Ελληνικά | σφαγή sfagí |
| Română | măcel |
| Русский | резня́ reznjá, ма́ссовое уби́йство mássovoje ubíjstvo, бо́йня bójnja, побо́ище pobóišče, распра́ва raspráva, погро́м pogróm |
| العربية | مَذْبَحَة maḏbaḥa, تَقْتِيل taqtīl |
| עברית | טֶבַח tévakh |
noun killing of animals
| Español | matanza |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 屠殺 tosatsu, 殺生 sesshō |
| 中文 | 屠宰 túzǎi, 宰殺 /宰杀 zǎishā |
| हिन्दी | वध vadh |
| Kiswahili | uchinjaji |
| Português | matança |
| Français | abattage |
| Deutsch | Schlachtung, Schächtung, Keulung, Notschlachtung |
| Italiano | mattanza |
| Ελληνικά | σφαγή sfagí |
| Română | abataj |
| Русский | убо́й ubój, забо́й zabój |
| العربية | ذَبْح ḏabḥ |
| עברית | שְׁחִיטָה sh'khitá |
noun a decisive defeat
| Español | escabechina |
|---|---|
| Português | massacre |
| Ελληνικά | σφαγή sfagí |
| Русский | разгро́м razgróm |
verb to butcher animals, generally for food
| Español | matar, carnear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 屠る hofuru, ばらす barasu |
| Português | matar, abater |
| Français | abattre |
| Deutsch | schlachten, schächten, keulen, notschlachten |
| Italiano | macellare |
| Ελληνικά | σφάζω sfázo |
| Română | măcelări, tăia, omorî |
| Русский | ре́зать rézatʹ, зареза́ть zarezátʹ, заре́зать zarézatʹ, заби́ть zabítʹ, заколо́ть zakolótʹ |
| العربية | ذَبَحَ ḏabaḥa |
| עברית | זָבַח zavakh |
verb to massacre people in large numbers
| Español | masacrar |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 殺戮する satsuriku suru |
| Português | exterminar, massacrar |
| Français | massacrer, faire une tuerie |
| Deutsch | abschlachten, massakrieren, niedermetzeln |
| Italiano | massacrare |
| Ελληνικά | κατασφάζω katasfázo |
| Русский | выреза́ть vyrezátʹ, вы́резать výrezatʹ, перере́зать pererézatʹ, перестреля́ть perestreljátʹ, истребля́ть istrebljátʹ, истреби́ть istrebítʹ |
verb to kill in a particularly brutal manner
| Español | masacrar, matar, carnear |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 殺戮する satsuriku suru |
| Português | massacrar |
| Français | massacrer, faire un carnage |
| Deutsch | abschlachten, massakrieren, niedermetzeln |
| Ελληνικά | κατακρεουργώ katakreourgó |
| Русский | зве́рски уби́ть zvérski ubítʹ, вы́резать výrezatʹ, изуве́чить izuvéčitʹ, оста́вить мо́крое ме́сто ostávitʹ mókroje mésto, изруби́ть в капу́сту izrubítʹ v kapústu, стере́ть в порошо́к sterétʹ v porošók |
Talk about this word "slaughter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/slaughter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. slaughter. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/slaughter "slaughter." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/slaughter.Cite this
@misc{slaughter_2026,
title = {slaughter},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/slaughter},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
