slaughter

See also: Slaughter

English

Alternative forms

• slaughtre (obsolete)

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈslɔːtə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈslɔtɚ/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈslɑtɚ/, [ˈslɑɾɚ]
• Hyphenation: slaugh‧ter
• Rhymes: -ɔːtə(ɹ)
• Homophone: slotter (cot–caught merger)

Noun

slaughter (countable and uncountable, plural slaughters)

1. (uncountable) The killing of animals, generally for food.
2. 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.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:

     […] I ſee
     Th’ Inſulting Tyrant prancing o’er the Field
     Strow’d with Rome’s Citizens, and drench’d in Slaughter,
     His Horſe’s Hoofs wet with Patrician Blood.

3. (rare) A mass destruction of non-living things.
   • 1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425:

     There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned.

4. A rout or decisive defeat.
5. (collective) A group of iguanas.

   Synonym: mess

Derived terms

• as a lamb to the slaughter
• come like a lamb to the slaughter
• lamb to the slaughter
• like a lamb to the slaughter
• manslaughter
• self-slaughter
• slaughter animal
• slaughterer
• slaughterhouse
• slaughterman
• slaughterous
• woman-slaughter

Translations

killing of animals

• Albanian: ploje
• Arabic: ذَبْح m (ḏabḥ)

  Hijazi Arabic: ذَبح m (dabḥ)

• Armenian: սպանդ (hy) (spand)
• Bulgarian: клане́ (bg) n (klané)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屠宰 (zh) (túzǎi), 宰殺 / 宰杀 (zh) (zǎishā)

• Czech: porážka (cs) f
• Danish: slakt c
• Dutch: slacht (nl) f
• Finnish: teurastus (fi), lahti (fi), lahtaus (fi)
• French: abattage (fr) m
• Galician: matanza (gl) f, mata (gl) f
• German: (generally) Schlachtung f, (Jewish or Muslim rite) Schächtung (de) f, (for disease control) Keulung f, Notschlachtung f
• Gothic: 𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐍃 f (slauhts)
• Greek: σφαγή (el) f (sfagí)

  Ancient: σφαγή f (sphagḗ)

• Hebrew: שְׁחִיטָה f (shḥitá)
• Hungarian: mészárlás (hu)
• Ingrian: tappajaiset
• Italian: mattanza (it)
• Japanese: 屠殺 (ja) (とさつ, tosatsu), 殺生 (ja) (せっしょう, sesshō)
• Latin: nex (la), trucīdātiō f
• Malay: penyembelihan
• Manchu: ᠸᠠᠮᠪᡳ (wambi)
• Navajo: náʼáʼah
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: slakt

• Oromo: qaluu
• Persian: کشتار (fa) (koštâr)
• Polish: ubój (pl) m
• Portuguese: matança (pt) f
• Romanian: abataj (ro) n
• Russian: убо́й (ru) m (ubój), забо́й (ru) m (zabój)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀кољ m, кла́ње n

  Roman: pòkolj (sh) m, klánje (sh) n

• Spanish: matanza (es) f
• Swahili: uchinjaji
• Swedish: slakt (sv) c
• Turkish: kesim (tr)
• Volapük: pug (vo), (ritual) pug ritulik
• Walloon: touwaedje (wa) m

killing of many people

• Albanian: masakër (sq) f, therje (sq) f
• Arabic: مَذْبَحَة f (maḏbaḥa), تَقْتِيل m (taqtīl)
• Armenian: կոտորած (hy) (kotorac), սպանդ (hy) (spand)
• Azerbaijani: qətliam
• Belarusian: разня́ f (raznjá), бо́йня f (bójnja), разні́ца f (razníca)
• Bulgarian: сеч (bg) m (seč), клане́ (bg) n (klané)
• Catalan: matança f, massacre (ca) f
• Chechen: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屠殺 / 屠杀 (zh) (túshā), 慘案 / 惨案 (zh) (cǎn'àn), 慘殺 / 惨杀 (zh) (cǎnshā), 殺戮 / 杀戮 (zh) (shālù)

• Czech: masakr (cs) m
• Dutch: slachtpartij (nl) f, bloedbad (nl) n, afslachting (nl) f
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: tapatalg
• Finnish: teurastus (fi), joukkomurha (fi), verilöyly (fi), lahtaus (fi)
• French: carnage (fr) m, tuerie (fr) f, massacre (fr) m
• Galician: matanza (gl) f
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Schlachtung (de) f, Schlächterei (de) f, Gemetzel (de) n, Metzelei (de) f
• Greek: σφαγή (el) f (sfagí)
• Hebrew: טֶבַח (he) m (tévaḥ)
• Hungarian: mészárlás (hu), öldöklés (hu)
• Irish: ár m, eirleach m

  Old Irish: ár m

• Italian: mattanza (it), carneficina (it), massacro (it) m, massacro (it) m
• Japanese: 虐殺 (ja) (ぎゃくさつ, gyakusatsu), 惨殺 (ja) (ざんさつ, zansatsu), 殺戮 (ja) (さつりく, satsuriku)
• Korean: 학살(虐殺) (ko) (haksal)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: سەر بڕین (ser brrîn)

• Latin: trucīdātiō f, nex (la)
• Latvian: slaktiņš m
• Lithuanian: žudynės f pl, skerdynės f pl
• Macedonian: колеж m (kolež), масакр m (masakr)
• Maori: hingahinga, parewhero, whakapiko, tārukenga, whārona awatea, parekura
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: slakt n

• Ojibwe: niiwana'
• Persian: کشتار (fa) (koštâr)
• Polish: rzeź (pl) f, pogrom (pl) m, masakra (pl) f
• Portuguese: carnificina (pt) f, matança (pt) f, massacre (pt) m, chacina (pt) f
• Romanian: măcel (ro) n
• Russian: резня́ (ru) f (reznjá), ма́ссовое уби́йство n (mássovoje ubíjstvo), бо́йня (ru) f (bójnja), побо́ище (ru) n (pobóišče), распра́ва (ru) f (raspráva), погро́м (ru) m (pogróm), крова́вая ба́ня (ru) f (krovávaja bánja), мясору́бка (ru) f (mjasorúbka), кровопроли́тие (ru) n (krovoprolítije), истребле́ние (ru) n (istreblénije)
• Scottish Gaelic: àr m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀кољ m, кла́ње n

  Roman: pòkolj (sh) m, klánje (sh) n

• Slovak: masaker m, masakra f
• Slovene: pokol (sl) m, masaker m
• Spanish: matanza (es) f, masacre (es) f, carnicería (es) f
• Swedish: massaker (sv) c, slakt (sv) c
• Turkish: katletme (tr), katliam (tr)
• Ukrainian: різня́ f (riznjá), різани́на f (rizanýna), бо́йня (uk) f (bójnja), маса́кра f (masákra)
• Volapük: mipug
• Yiddish: הריגה f (harige)

a decisive defeat

• Bulgarian: разгро́м (bg) m (razgróm)
• Finnish: teurastus (fi), rökäletappio (fi)
• Greek: σφαγή (el) f (sfagí)
• Irish: ár m

  Old Irish: ár m

• Latin: nex (la)
• Polish: pogrom (pl) m
• Portuguese: massacre (pt) m
• Russian: разгро́м (ru) m (razgróm)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кланица f

  Roman: klanica (sh) f

• Spanish: escabechina (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} abattage (fr) m

Verb

slaughter (third-person singular simple present slaughters, present participle slaughtering, simple past and past participle slaughtered)

1. (transitive) To butcher animals, generally for food.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To massacre people in large numbers.
   • 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 21:

     Hurriedly he snatched up others, one or two at a time, until he had slaughtered thirty of Hrothgar's doughtiest earls.

3. (transitive) To kill someone or something, especially in a particularly brutal manner.
   • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

     Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight,
     He that can take or ſlaughter Tamburlaine,
     Shall rule the Prouince of Albania.

Derived terms

• slaughterer
• self-slaughtered

Translations

to butcher animals, generally for food

• Albanian: pre (sq)
• Arabic: ذَبَحَ (ḏabaḥa)

  Egyptian Arabic: دبح (dabaḥ)

  Hijazi Arabic: ذَبَح (dabaḥ)

• Armenian: մորթել (hy) (mortʻel)
• Basque: akabatu
• Bengali: হত্যা (bn) (hotta)
• Bulgarian: коля (bg) (kolja)
• Czech: porazit (cs) pf, porážet (cs) impf
• Danish: slagte
• Dutch: slachten (nl)
• Egyptian: (dnd)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: teurastaa (fi), lahdata (fi)
• French: abattre (fr)
• German: (generally) schlachten, (Jewish or Muslim rite) schächten, (for disease control) keulen, notschlachten

  Alemannic German: metzge

• Greek: σφάζω (el) (sfázo)

  Ancient: σφάζω (spházō)

• Hawaiian: pepehi
• Hebrew: זָבַח (zavakh)
• Icelandic: please add this translation if you can
• Ingrian: tappaa
• Italian: macellare (it)
• Japanese: 屠る (ja) (hofuru), ばらす (ja) (barasu)
• Kven: lahđata
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Malagasy: sombily (mg)
• Malay: sembelih (ms)
• Maori: patu
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Nahuatl: mictia (nah)
• Norwegian: slakte (no)
• Polish: szlachtować (pl) impf, zaszlachtować pf, zarzynać (pl) impf, rżnąć (pl) impf, zarżnąć pf, bić (pl) impf
• Portuguese: matar (pt), abater (pt)
• Romanian: măcelări (ro), tăia (ro), omorî (ro)
• Russian: ре́зать (ru) impf (rézatʹ), зареза́ть (ru) impf (zarezátʹ), заре́зать (ru) pf (zarézatʹ), заби́ть (ru) pf (zabítʹ), заколо́ть (ru) pf (zakolótʹ)
• Spanish: matar (es), carnear (es)
• Swedish: slakta (sv)
• Tagalog: sumbali (tl)
• Turkish: kesmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: рі́зати impf (rízaty), зарі́зати pf (zarízaty)
• Volapük: pugön (vo), benopugön

to massacre people in large numbers

• Armenian: կոտորել (hy) (kotorel), մորթել (hy) (mortʻel)
• Bulgarian: избивам (bg) (izbivam)
• Dutch: afslachten (nl)
• Finnish: teurastaa (fi), lahdata (fi)
• French: massacrer (fr), faire une tuerie
• German: abschlachten, massakrieren, niedermetzeln
• Greek: κατασφάζω (el) (katasfázo)
• Hawaiian: luku
• Icelandic: slátra (is)
• Italian: massacrare (it)
• Japanese: 殺戮する (ja) (satsuriku suru)
• Latin: trucīdō
• Maori: whārona awatea, whakawhārona
• Nahuatl: mictia (nah)
• Norwegian: massakrere, slakte (no)
• Old Tupi: apiti
• Polish: masakrować impf, zmasakrować pf
• Portuguese: exterminar (pt), massacrar (pt)
• Russian: выреза́ть (ru) impf (vyrezátʹ), вы́резать (ru) pf (výrezatʹ), перере́зать (ru) pf (pererézatʹ), перестреля́ть (ru) pf (perestreljátʹ), истребля́ть (ru) impf (istrebljátʹ), истреби́ть (ru) pf (istrebítʹ), выка́шивать (ru) impf (vykášivatʹ), устро́ить резню́ pf (ustróitʹ reznjú), учини́ть распра́ву pf (učinítʹ rasprávu)
• Spanish: masacrar (es)
• Sumerian: 𒄮 (SÙR)
• Swedish: slakta (sv)
• Turkish: katletmek (tr)
• Volapük: mipugön

to kill in a particularly brutal manner

• Dutch: afslachten (nl)
• Finnish: teurastaa (fi), lahdata (fi)
• French: massacrer (fr), faire un carnage
• German: abschlachten, massakrieren, niedermetzeln
• Greek: κατακρεουργώ (el) (katakreourgó)
• Japanese: 殺戮する (ja) (satsuriku suru)
• Latin: trucīdō
• Nahuatl: mictia (nah)
• Norwegian: slakte (no)
• Polish: masakrować impf, zmasakrować pf, zarzynać (pl) impf, rżnąć (pl) impf, zarżnąć pf
• Portuguese: massacrar (pt)
• Russian: зве́рски уби́ть pf (zvérski ubítʹ), вы́резать (ru) pf (výrezatʹ), изуве́чить (ru) pf (izuvéčitʹ), оста́вить мо́крое ме́сто (ru) pf (ostávitʹ mókroje mésto), изруби́ть в капу́сту (ru) pf (izrubítʹ v kapústu), стере́ть в порошо́к (ru) pf (sterétʹ v porošók), живо́го ме́ста не оста́вить (ru) pf (živóvo mésta ne ostávitʹ); (intransitive): распра́виться (ru) pf (rasprávitʹsja), надруѓаться (ru) pf (nadruǵatʹsja)
• Spanish: masacrar (es), matar (es), carnear (es)
• Sumerian: 𒄮 (SÙR)
• Swedish: slakta (sv)
• Turkish: katletmek (tr)
• Volapük: mipugön

Anagrams

• Laughters, laughster, laughters, laughtres, lethargus, slaughtre