Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

hecatomb

 - 3 dictionary results
Hecatomb at Amazon
Save on Hecatomb Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/toys
Hecatomb TCG On Sale Here
Dark, Challenging Trading Card Game Packs, Boxes & Singles Available!
www.frpgames.com/hecatomb

hec⋅a⋅tomb

  [hek-uh-tohm, -toom]
Use hecatomb in a Sentence
–noun
1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a public sacrifice of 100 oxen to the gods.
2. any great slaughter: the hecatombs of modern wars.
Origin:
1585–95; < L hecatombē < Gk hekatómbē < *hekatombwā, equiv. to hékaton one hundred + *-bwā, taken to be a deriv. of boûs ox (see cow 1 )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hecatomb
Hecatomb at Amazon
Save on Hecatomb Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/toys
Hecatomb TCG On Sale Here
Dark, Challenging Trading Card Game Packs, Boxes & Singles Available!
www.frpgames.com/hecatomb
hec·a·tomb   (hěk'ə-tōm')   
n.  

  1. A large-scale sacrifice or slaughter.

  2. A sacrifice to the ancient Greek and Roman gods consisting originally of 100 oxen or cattle.


[Latin hecatombē, from Greek hekatombē : hekaton, hundred; see dek in Indo-European roots + -bē, oxen; see gwou- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

hecatomb 
1592, from Gk. hekatombe "offering of 100 oxen," from hekaton "one hundred" (from on "one" + *katon "hundred") + bous "ox."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see hecatomb on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way