Definition

1. Noun:

   • The savage and excessive killing of many people: The act of killing a large number of people in a violent, brutal, and often indiscriminate manner.
   • A sound defeat: (Figurative) A decisive and overwhelming defeat, especially in a competitive context like sports or war.
   • The killing of animals (as for food): The process of killing animals, typically livestock, for the purpose of producing meat.

2. Verb:

   • To kill a large number of people indiscriminately: To massacre or butcher people on a large scale.
   • To kill (animals) usually for food consumption: To kill animals, especially livestock, for their meat.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The battle resulted in the slaughter of thousands of soldiers. (Refers to the mass killing of people.)
  • Our team suffered a complete slaughter, losing 10-0. (Refers to a decisive defeat.)
  • The slaughter of cattle is strictly regulated in this country. (Refers to the killing of animals for food.)

• Verb:

  • Invading forces slaughtered the entire village. (Refers to massacring people.)
  • The farmer slaughtered three pigs for the festival. (Refers to killing animals for food.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be slaughtered": Can be used passively for both meanings.

  • Civilians were slaughtered in the conflict.
  • The lambs are slaughtered humanely at this facility.

• "A slaughterhouse": (Related compound noun) A place where animals are killed for food.

  • The animals are transported to a slaughterhouse.

Variants and Related Words

• Slaughterer (n): A person who slaughters animals or, less commonly, people.
• Slaughterous (adj): Characterized by slaughter; murderous. (Archaic/rare)
• Massacre (n/v): A close synonym, especially for the killing of many people.

Synonyms

• Noun (killing people): Massacre, carnage, butchery, bloodbath, genocide.
• Noun (defeat): Rout, thrashing, debacle.
• Noun (killing animals): Butchery.
• Verb (killing people): Massacre, butcher, annihilate.
• Verb (killing animals): Butcher.

Related Phrases

• "Like lambs to the slaughter": (Idiom) To go helplessly and unknowingly into a dangerous or difficult situation.
  • The inexperienced troops went into battle like lambs to the slaughter.
• "Slaughter of the innocents": (Historical/Literary phrase) A reference to the biblical story of King Herod ordering the killing of infant boys; used to describe any brutal killing of innocent people, especially children.

Noun

1. the savage and excessive killing of many people
2. a sound defeat
3. the killing of animals (as for food)

Verb

1. kill a large number of people indiscriminately
   • The Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda
2. kill (animals) usually for food consumption
   • They slaughtered their only goat to survive the winter