Massacre

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈmæs.É™.kÉ™(ɹ)/

Alternative forms

• massacer archaic

Origin

1580, from Middle French massacre, from Old French macacre, macecle ("slaughterhouse, butchery"), from Medieval Latin mazacrium ("massacre, slaughter, killing”, also “the head of a newly killed stag"), from Middle Low German *matskelen ("to massacre") (compare German metzeln ("massacre")), frequentive of matsken, matzgen ("to cut, hew"), from Proto-Germanic *maitaną ("to cut"), from Proto-Indo-European *mei- ("small"). Akin to Old High German meizan ("to cut"), Dutch matsen ("to maul, kill"), dialectal German metzgern "to butcher, kill", German metzgen ("to cull, kill, slaughter cattle"), Metzger ("a butcher"), Metzelei ("massacre"), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (maitan, "to cut"). See also the French term massacrer.

Full definition of massacre

Noun

1. The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.the massacre on St. Bartholomew's DaySt. Valentine's Day massacreAmritsar massacre
2. (obsolete) Murder.
• 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the ThirdThe tyrannous and bloody act is done,—The most arch deed of piteous massacreThat ever yet this land was guilty of.
3. (figuratively)

Synonyms

• butchery, carnage, slaughter.Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance.
• 1592, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, I,vI'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, William Shakespeare, Richard III, I,iiIf 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, John Milton, Paradise LostSuch a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable!

Related terms

• mass murder
• massacrer
• massacree

Verb

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 norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter. Often limited to the killing of human beings.
• 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History Of England From the Accession of James IIIf James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximilian had massacred the Theban legion
2. (figuratively)