What does "butchery" mean?
The cruel, ruthless killings of humans, as at a slaughterhouse.
Butchery
/ˈbʊt͡ʃəɹi/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The cruel, ruthless killings of humans, as at a slaughterhouse.
- Grammar: butchery is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abattoir, aceldama, assault, attack.
- Useful contrasts: care, humane treatment, precision.
- Usage evidence: The bakery is next to the butchery.
How to use "butchery"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "butchery" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "butchery" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "butchery" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "butchery" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "butchery" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abattoir" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "butchery", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The cruel, ruthless killings of humans, as at a slaughterhouse. countable, uncountable
"The tyrannous and bloody act is done,— The most arch deed of piteous massacre That ever yet this land was guilty of. Dighton and Forrest, who I did suborn To do this piece of ruthless butchery"
- 2 The stereotypical behaviors and accoutrements of a butch lesbian. countable, slang, uncountable
- 3 the savage and excessive killing of many people wordnet
- 4 An abattoir, a slaughterhouse. countable, rare, uncountable
"1899 On the third Friday Jimmie was dropped at the door of the school from the doctor's buggy. The other children, notably those who had already passed over the mountain of distress, looked at him with glee, seeing in him another lamb brought to butchery. — Stephen Crane, Making an Orator."
- 5 the business of a butcher wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The butchering of meat. countable, uncountable
"This butchery begins in the first Japanese month. For this purpose they put the animal's head between two long poles, which are squeezed together by fifty or sixty people, both men and women. When the bear is dead they eat his flesh, keep the liver as a medicine"
- 7 a building where animals are butchered wordnet
- 8 A disastrous effort, an atrocious failure. countable, uncountable
"I often wondered how Walcott the director could stand listening to some of his marvelous words and phrases being subjected to verbal butchery as sometimes occurred when a player did not understand what he was speaking or reading."
- 9 A meat market. countable, uncountable
Example
"The bakery is next to the butchery."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "butchery"?
Common synonyms include: abattoir, aceldama, assault, attack, battering, bloodbath.
How do you use "butchery" in a sentence?
The bakery is next to the butchery.
How do you pronounce "butchery"?
Pronounced /ˈbʊt͡ʃəɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English bocherie, from Old French. See butcher for more.
Etymology 2
From butch + -ery.