What does "slaughter" mean?
The killing of animals, generally for food.
Slaughter
/ˈslɔtɚ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The killing of animals, generally for food.
- Grammar: slaughter is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: butchery, mass murder, massacre, annihilate.
- Useful contrasts: preserve, protect, safeguard.
- Usage evidence: The slaughter of the prisoners was a barbarous act.
How to use "slaughter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slaughter" 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 "slaughter" 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 "slaughter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slaughter" 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 "slaughter" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "butchery" 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 "slaughter", 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 killing of animals, generally for food. uncountable
- 2 the killing of animals (as for food) wordnet
- 3 A massacre; the killing of a large number of people. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 4 the savage and excessive killing of many people wordnet
- 5 A mass destruction of non-living things. countable, rare, uncountable
"There was a massive slaughter of W.R. steam power at the conclusion of the summer timetable. In all, 169 locomotives were condemned."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a sound defeat wordnet
- 7 A rout or decisive defeat. countable, uncountable
- 8 A group of iguanas. collective, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To butcher animals, generally for food. transitive
- 2 kill a large number of people indiscriminately wordnet
- 3 To massacre people in large numbers. intransitive, transitive
"Hurriedly he snatched up others, one or two at a time, until he had slaughtered thirty of Hrothgar's doughtiest earls."
- 4 kill (animals) usually for food consumption wordnet
- 5 To kill someone or something, especially in a particularly brutal manner. transitive
"Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight, He that can take or ſlaughter Tamburlaine, Shall rule the Prouince of Albania."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 Used in the placenames of the Slaughters, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter.
- 3 A town in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States, from the surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The slaughter of the prisoners was a barbarous act."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slaughter"?
Common synonyms include: butchery, mass murder, massacre, annihilate, annihilation, assault.
How do you use "slaughter" in a sentence?
The slaughter of the prisoners was a barbarous act.
How do you pronounce "slaughter"?
Pronounced /ˈslɔtɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”).
Etymology 2
Originally named for someone who slaughtered animals for food.
Etymology 3
See Slaughters.