slaughter1 verbslaughter2 noun
slaughterslaugh‧ter1 /ˈslɔːtə $ ˈslɒːtər/ ●○○ verb [transitive] 
Verb TableVERB TABLE
slaughter
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | slaughter |
| he, she, it | slaughters | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | slaughtered |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have slaughtered |
| he, she, it | has slaughtered | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had slaughtered |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will slaughter |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have slaughtered |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am slaughtering |
| he, she, it | is slaughtering | |
| you, we, they | are slaughtering | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was slaughtering |
| you, we, they | were slaughtering | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been slaughtering |
| he, she, it | has been slaughtering | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been slaughtering |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be slaughtering |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been slaughtering |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- As part of the ceremony a cow was slaughtered and placed on the stone altar.
- Hundreds of civilians had been slaughtered by government troops.
- Men ran through the village burning houses and slaughtering the inhabitants.
- Men, women and children were slaughtered in groups by their captors.
- The Knicks got slaughtered in the semifinal.
- The only way to stop the virus spreading is by slaughtering all infected animals.
- Arledge said she is not against sending horses to slaughter.
- Elizabeth was slaughtered at the wheel of her boyfriend's four-wheel-drive truck as she desperately tried to escape.
- Estimates of the number slaughtered vary from 30,000 to 70,000.
- From then on, the story turns into little more than an account of men slaughtering each other.
- His great dragon Nightfang went berserk and slaughtered many Dark Elves and their slave troops.
- Many of them had been ruthlessly slaughtered by the ancestors of our Secretary of the Interior.
- More than 3,190,600 animals have been slaughtered.
- Too many Trojans had been slaughtered in the first surprise.
THESAURUSto kill a large number of people► massacre
Collocations to kill a large number of people in a violent way: · Thousands of peaceful demonstrators were massacred by the soldiers.
► slaughter to kill a large number of people in a violent way. Slaughter is also used about killing animals for food: · The army slaughtered thousands of civilians in an effort to stop the revolt.· The pigs were slaughtered on the farm.
► exterminate to kill large numbers of a particular group, so that they no longer exist: · Hitler’s goal was to exterminate the Jews.
Longman Language Activatorto beat someone very easily in a game, competition, election etc► crush/slaughter/massacre/annihilate informal to completely beat someone in a game, competition, election etc: · Wow, the Raiders just slaughtered the Seahawks again.· The party strategy was to form an alliance to crush the communists.
► clobber/hammer informal also cream American spoken to beat someone very easily in a game, competition, election etc: · We've been clobbered twice now by Central High's basketball team.· Chicago hammered Boston in an away game on Saturday.· "How'd the game go?" "We creamed 'em!"
► rout especially British to beat an opposing team or political party easily and completely: · The Australians have once again routed the English cricket team.
► wipe the floor with somebody informal to defeat someone completely in an argument or competition: · I'd think twice before I started a fight with him - he'd wipe the floor with me!
► outplay to play much better than an opponent or team in a game and beat them easily: · Ohio outplayed Michigan, especially in the fourth quarter, winning by 14 points.
to kill an animal► kill · Is it morally acceptable to kill animals for food?· You shouldn't really kill spiders, even if you're frightened of them.· They were so hungry they killed the rest of their livestock that winter.
► slaughter to kill farm animals, either for their meat or skins, or because they are ill: · The only way to stop the virus spreading is by slaughtering all infected animals.· As part of the ceremony a cow was slaughtered and placed on the stone altar.
► destroy to kill an animal in a painless way, especially using drugs, because it is dangerous or in pain: · The Animal Disease Authority decided to destroy the cattle that were infected with the disease.have something destroyed: · The court ordered the owner of the rottweilers to have the dogs destroyed.
► put down/put to sleep British to kill an animal, especially a pet, in a painless way, because it is very old or very ill, or is not wanted: · When our old cat became very sick we had to ask the vet to put her down.· She rescued Sandy from the Animal Shelter the day before he was due to be put to sleep.have something put down/put to sleep: · A blind dog is no use to a shepherd. I'm afraid I'm going to have to have him put down.
► cull to kill a large number of animals, for example in order to stop a disease spreading or to keep the numbers of a particular animal population down: · Over two million sheep have been culled to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.
to kill a large number of people► kill · Thousands of the rebels were killed in a gun battle with government troops.· The gunman killed 22 people and wounded 15, before turning his gun on himself.
► massacre to kill a large number of people easily, because they are not able to defend themselves well enough: · They have massacred hundreds of innocent people.· Claims by refugees that 1000 people had been massacred were denied by the local authorities.
► slaughter to kill a large number of people in a very cruel or violent way: · Men ran through the village burning houses and slaughtering the inhabitants.· Men, women and children were slaughtered in groups by their captors.
► exterminate to kill large numbers of a particular group or race of people so that it no longer exists: · There was an attempt to exterminate ethnic groups in the north of the country.
WORD SETS► Agricultureagrarian, adjectiveagribusiness, nounagro-, prefixagro-industry, nounanimal husbandry, nounanimal rights, nounartificial insemination, nounbale, nounbale, verbbarn, nounbarnyard, nounbattery, nounbiotechnology, nounbreadbasket, nounbreed, verbbreeding, nounbroiler, nounbroiler chicken, nounBSE, nounbuckaroo, nounbull, nounbutcher, verbbyre, nouncapon, nouncattleman, nouncattle market, nouncattle prod, nounchaff, nounchicken, nounchicken run, nouncollective farm, nouncoop, nounco-op, nouncorral, nouncorral, verbcowboy, nouncowgirl, nouncowhand, nouncowpoke, nouncreamery, nouncroft, nouncrofter, nouncrofting, nouncultivate, verbcultivation, noundairy, noundairy cattle, noundairy farm, noundairymaid, noundairyman, nounDDT, noundip, verbdip, noundirt farmer, noundrover, noundry-stone wall, noundude ranch, nounDutch barn, nounextensive agriculture, factory farming, nounfallow, adjectivefarm, nounfarm, verbfarmer, nounfarmhand, nounfarmhouse, nounfarming, nounfarmland, nounfarmstead, nounfarmyard, nounfeedstock, nounfield, nounfishery, nounfish farm, nounfish meal, nounflail, verbflail, nounfleece, nounfodder, nounfold, nounfoot and mouth disease, nounforage, nounfowl, nounfree-range, adjectivefungicide, noungamekeeper, noungeld, verbgenetically modified, adjectivegentleman farmer, nounGM, adjectivegoatherd, noungraft, noungraft, verbgranary, noungreenhouse, noungreen revolution, nounGreen Revolution, nounhacienda, nounharrow, nounhatchery, nounhayloft, nounhaymaking, nounhaystack, nounheifer, nounhen house, nounherbicide, nounherd, nounherd, verbherdsman, nounhigh-yield, adjectivehired hand, nounhomestead, nounhomestead, verbhopper, nounhorticulture, nounhusbandry, nounhutch, nouninsecticide, nounintensive agriculture, irrigate, verbJersey, nounkibbutz, nounlamb, verbland agent, nounlasso, nounlasso, verblift, verblitter, nounlivestock, nounlonghorn, nounmad cow disease, nounmanure, nounmeat, nounmerino, nounmilk, nounmilk churn, nounmilking machine, nounmilking parlour, nounmilkmaid, nounmixed farming, nounmower, nounmuck, nounmuckheap, nounnursery, nounoast house, nounorangery, nounorchard, nounorganic, adjectiveorganic farming, paddock, nounpaddy, nounpasturage, nounpasture, nounpasture, verbpastureland, nounpen, nounperpendicular, adjectivepest, nounpesticide, nounpiggery, nounpigpen, nounpigsty, nounpigswill, nounpitchfork, nounplantation, nounplanter, nounplough, nounplough, verbploughboy, nounploughman, nounploughshare, nounpoultry, nounproducer, nounpullet, nounPYO, raise, verbranch, nounrancher, nounranching, nounrange, nounranger, nounrear, verbrick, nounrubber, nounrun, nounrustle, verbscarecrow, nounscythe, nounsharecropper, nounshare-cropper, nounshear, verbshearer, nounsheep-dip, nounsheepdog, nounsheep-pen, nounshepherd, nounshepherdess, nounsickle, nounsilage, nounsilo, nounslaughter, verbslaughterhouse, nounsmallholding, nounsow, verbsow, nounsprayer, nounstable, nounstable, verbstable boy, nounstall, nounstation, nounsteer, nounstock, nounstockbreeder, nounstockman, nounstockyard, nounstubble, nounsty, nounswill, nounswine, nounswineherd, nountenant farmer, nounterrace, nounthresh, verbthreshing machine, nountractor, nountrough, nountruck farm, nountrue, adverbudder, nounvillein, nounvineyard, nounweedkiller, nounweevil, nounwheat, nounwheatgerm, nounwheatmeal, nounwinnow, verbwool, nounwrangler, nounyoke, nounyoke, verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► animal
1to kill an animal, especially for its meat2to kill a lot of people in a cruel or violent way SYN butcher: · Only criminals may slaughter animals so that the population at large is not brutalized.· Back then quarantines turned farmers against each other and in some cases farmers were forced to slaughter their own animals.· He urged the Government to call in the army to help to incinerate slaughtered animals.
► cattle· The abattoirs are licensed to slaughter cattle not destined for the food chain.
Hundreds of innocent civilians had been slaughtered by government troops.► see thesaurus at kill3informal to defeat an opponent in a sport or game by a large number of points SYN hammer: We got slaughtered, 110–54.slaughter1 verbslaughter2 noun
slaughterslaughter2 ●○○ noun [uncountable] Word OriginWORD ORIGINslaughter2
ExamplesOrigin:
1200-1300 Old Norse slatr ‘meat, killing animals for meat’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- His war crimes included the deliberate slaughter of 250,000 individuals.
- Many are determined to avenge the slaughter in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
- Most of the cattle will be sent for slaughter.
- The slaughter was terrible - the whole field was covered with bodies.
- And why not give the slaughter of this young magnificent creature a sacred meaning equal to the experience of giving it death?
- De Klerk warned Parliament on April 29 that the continuing slaughter could lead to civil war.
- Now aged 99, he still has vivid memories of the slaughter.
- On the contrary, they had refrained from acting earlier even though they knew of the slaughter.
- Technology had advanced since the appalling slaughter of the Great War.
- The men were knocked away from them with great rapidity and slaughter by the terrible fire of the enemy.
- They could only leave the zone if they were going directly to the slaughter house.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a large number of people are killed► massacre
Collocations when a large number of people are easily killed, because they are not able to defend themselves: · The soldiers who carried out the massacre have not been identified.massacre of: · The students claimed the two men had ordered the massacre of 200 people in Kwangju.
► slaughter when a large number of people are killed in a very cruel or violent way: · The slaughter was terrible - the whole field was covered with bodies.· Many are determined to avenge the slaughter in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.slaughter of: · His war crimes included the deliberate slaughter of 250,000 individuals.
► carnage when a large number of people are violently killed, especially in a war - used especially in newspapers: · The war was over. The carnage had ceased.· The foreign minister has asked ambassadors from several states to help end the carnage.
► mass murder when one or more people kill a large number of people violently at about the same time: · Details are still emerging of this, the biggest mass murder in Canadian history.mass murder of: · the mass murder of innocent people
► genocide when a whole group or race of people are killed in a planned and organized way: · What is going on is not just war, it is genocide.· In recent history, the existence of prejudice has led to violence and genocide.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► great
1when people kill animals, especially for their meat: · The men were knocked away from them with great rapidity and slaughter by the terrible fire of the enemy.
► mass· This means the High Elves must rely on their bowmen and their magicians for long range mass slaughter.
the export of live animals for slaughter2when large numbers of people are killed in a cruel or violent way: the slaughter of defenceless women and children