Meaning of slaughter In English

• 0 the killing of many people cruelly and unfairly, especially in a war:

  • Hardly anyone in the town escaped the slaughter when the rebels were defeated.

  • We must find ways of reducing the slaughter which takes place on our roads (= death of many people in car accidents) every year.

  • The geese are being fattened for slaughter.

  • Saturday's game was an absolute slaughter.

• 1 to cruelly and unfairly kill a lot of people:

  • Thousands of people were slaughtered in the civil war.

  • The animals are slaughtered in spring.

  • England slaughtered Germany 5–1 at football.

• 2 the killing of animals for their meat, or the killing of large numbers of animals in a cruel manner

• 3 the killing of large numbers of people:

  • We must find ways of reducing the slaughter on the highways (= deaths of many people in car accidents).

• 4 to kill large numbers of people

  • The Red Sox slaughtered the Yankees in last night’s baseball game, winning 12 to 0.

• 5 to kill animals, esp. for their meat