slaughterer

UK: /ˈslɔːtərəʳ/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

slaugh•ter /ˈslɔtɚ/   n. [uncountable]

1. the killing of cattle, sheep, etc., esp. for food.
2. a brutal or violent killing:
   ordered the slaughter of hundreds of civilians.

v. [~ + object]

3. to kill or butcher (animals), esp. for food.
4. to kill in a brutal or violent manner, or in great numbers.

slaugh•ter•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

slaugh•ter  (slô′tər), n. 

1. the killing or butchering of cattle, sheep, etc., esp. for food.
2. the brutal or violent killing of a person.
3. the killing of great numbers of people or animals indiscriminately;
   carnage:
   the slaughter of war.

v.t. 

4. to kill or butcher (animals), esp. for food.
5. to kill in a brutal or violent manner.
6. to slay in great numbers;
   massacre.
7. Informal Terms to defeat thoroughly;
   trounce:
   They slaughtered our team.

• Old Norse slātr, earlier slāttr, slahtr
• Middle English slaghter, slahter, slauther (noun, nominal) 1250–1300

slaugh′ter•er, n. 
slaugh′ter•ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 2. murder.
• 4. –6.
  Slaughter, butcher, massacre all imply violent and bloody methods of killing.
  Slaughter and butcher, primarily referring to the killing of animals for food, are used also of the brutal or indiscriminate killing of human beings:
  to slaughter cattle; to butcher a hog.
  Massacre indicates a general slaughtering of helpless or unresisting victims:
  to massacre the peasants of a region.

Slaugh•ter  (slô′tər), n. 

1. Biographical Frank, born 1908, U.S. novelist and physician.