butchering

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English butch

English -er

English butcher

Proto-Germanic *-ungō

Old English -ung

Middle English -ynge

English -ing

English butchering

From butcher + -ing.

Noun

butchering (countable and uncountable, plural butcherings)

1. The act by which someone or something is butchered.

   Synonym: butchery

   1. Dismemberment.
      1. Dismemberment of animals as food.

         Coordinate terms: killing, slaughtering (coordinate in precise usage referring to animal carcasses)

         • 2026 April 21, Cal Flyn, “On the trail with the hunters who believe shooting big game can save Africa’s wildlife”, in The Guardian‎^[1], archived from the original on 22 April 2026:

           Great crowds turned out to watch the carcass portioned out. The butchering itself was rough and inexpert, conducted rapidly with a serrated knife on the side of the road.

      2. Dismemberment of humans as manslaughter or murder.
   2. (loosely) Killing, especially of a human being, regardless of whether any dismemberment is involved.
   3. (figuratively) Botching; a botched job.

Derived terms

• pig butchering

Verb

butchering

1. present participle and gerund of butcher