Complete Definition of "massacre"

English

Pronunciation
IPA|/ʼmæs�k�*/

Etymology
French, from Late Latin mazacrium; compare Provincial German metzgern, metzgen, to kill cattle, German metzger a butcher, and Low German matsken = to cut, hew, Old High German meizan to cut, Gothic máitan. See also French massacrer''

Noun
en-noun

  1. The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people.

#:the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day
#:St. Valentine's Day massacre
#:Amritsar massacre
#:the Wounded Knee massacre

  1. obsolete Murder.

#*1593, w:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third
#*:The tyrannous and bloody act is done,�
#*:The most arch deed of piteous massacre
#*:That ever yet this land was guilty of.

Synonyms
butchery, carnage
:Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance.
:*1592, w:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, I,v
:*:I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family
:Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts.
:*1593, w:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare, Richard III, I,ii
:*:If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries
:Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain.
:*1674, w:John Milton|John Milton, Paradise Lost
:*:Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable!

Translations

Bosnian: masakr#Bosnian|masakr m, pokolj#Bosnian|pokolj m, krvoproli�e#Bosnian|krvoproli�e n
Danish: massakre
Finnish: joukkomurha, verilöyly, teurastus
French: #French|massacre m
German: Massaker n (1)
Hebrew: ���
mid
Korean: ��#Korean|��
Latin: trucidatio
Norwegian: massakre
Russian: ма��овое �бий��во
Serbian:
:Cyrillic: ма�ак�#Serbian|ма�ак� m, поко�#Serbian|поко� m, к�воп�оли�е#Serbian|к�воп�оли�е m
:Roman: masakr#Serbian|masakr m, pokolj#Serbian|pokolj m, krvoproli�e#Serbian|krvoproli�e m
Slovak: masakra f
Slovene: pokol m, masaker m
Telugu: ����త (oochakOta)
Welsh: llofruddiaeth

Verb
en-verb|massacres|massacring|massacred

  1. transitive To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the usages of nations; to butcher; to slaughter - limited to the killing of human beings.

#*1849, w:Thomas Babington Macaulay|Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History Of England From the Accession of James II
#*:If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximian had massacred the Theban legion

Translations

Bosnian: masakrirati#Bosnian|masakrirati, poklati#Bosnian|poklati, poubijati#Bosnian|poubijati
Danish: massakrere
Finnish: joukkomurhata, teurastaa
French: massacrer
German: massakrieren
mid
Norwegian: massakrere
Serbian:
:Cyrillic: ма�ак�и�а�и#Serbian|ма�ак�и�а�и, покла�и#Serbian|покла�и, по�би�а�и#Serbian|по�би�а�и
:Roman: masakrirati#Serbian|masakrirati, poklati#Serbian|poklati, poubijati#Serbian|poubijati
Slovene: poklati

Category:Death

de:massacre
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fr:massacre
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ru:massacre
simple:massacre
fi:massacre
ta:massacre
te:massacre
vi:massacre
zh:massacre

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