the unnecessary, indiscriminate killing of a large number of human beings or animals, as in barbarous warfare or persecution or for revenge or plunder.
2.
a general slaughter, as of persons or animals: the massacre of millions during the war.
3.
Informal. a crushing defeat, esp. in sports.
–verb (used with object)
4.
to kill unnecessarily and indiscriminately, esp. a large number of persons.
5.
Informal. to defeat decisively, esp. in sports.
[Origin: 1575–85; (n.) < MF massacre, n. deriv. of massacrer, OF maçacrer, macecler, prob. < VL *matteūcculāre, v. deriv. of *matteūca mallet (see mashie, mace1); (v.) < MF massacrer]
1581, from M.Fr. massacre "wholesale slaughter, carnage," from O.Fr. macacre, macecle "slaughterhouse, butchery," perhaps from L. macellum "provisions store, butcher shop." The noun is attested from 1586.
Butch"er*y\, n. [OE. bocherie shambles, fr. F. boucherie. See Butcher, n.]1. The business of a butcher. [Obs.] 2. Murder or manslaughter, esp. when committed with unusual barbarity; great or cruel slaughter. --Shak. The perpetration of human butchery. --Prescott. 3. A slaughterhouse; the shambles; a place where blood is shed. [Obs.] Like as an ox is hanged in the butchery. --Fabyan. Syn: Murder; slaughter; carnage. See Massacre.
Mas"sa*cre\, n. [F., fr. LL. mazacrium; cf. Prov. G. metzgern, metzgen, to kill cattle, G. metzger a butcher, and LG. matsken to cut, hew, OHG. meizan to cut, Goth. m['a]itan.]1. The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day. 2. Murder. [Obs.] --Shak. Syn: Massacre, Butchery, Carnage. Usage: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family. --Shak. If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries. --Shak. Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable ! --Milton.
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