BUTCHER • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Butcher

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/bˈʊtʃər/ Listen

noun

Butcher n.

1.

One who slaughters animals, or dresses their flesh for market; one whose occupation it is to kill animals for food.

2.

A slaughterer; one who kills in large numbers, or with unusual cruelty; one who causes needless loss of life, as in battle. "Butcher of an innocent child."

Butcher's meat, such flesh of animals slaughtered for food as is sold for that purpose by butchers, as beef, mutton, lamb, and pork.

verb

Butcher v. t. (past & past part. butchered; pres. part. butchering)

1.

To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs.

2.

To murder, or kill, especially in an unusually bloody or barbarous manner. "(Ithocles) was murdered, rather butchered."

3.

To bungle badly; to botch; used also when an object is damaged (literally or figuratively) in an activity; as, the new choir butchered the hymn.

Synonyms: mangle.

adjective

butch adj.

1.

Markedly masculine in appearance or manner; used of men.

Synonyms: macho.

2.

Same as lesbian. (pejorative)

See images of 'Butcher'

Etymology of 'Butcher'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Butcher" Quotes from Famous Books

... in the days of the Caliph Al-Hakim bi' Amri'llah, a butcher named Wardan, who dealt in sheep's flesh; and there came to him every day a lady and gave him a dinar, whose weight was nigh two and a half Egyptian dinars, saying, "Give me a lamb." So he took the money and gave her the lamb, which she ...

— The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 4 • Richard F. Burton

... vision than the politician. And if Uncle Sam's anger does once get the better of him, if doubts and hesitations are ever thrust on one side, if he takes his stand where his record and his sympathies must make him wish to be, then let it be noted that this base butcher stands dazed and paralyzed by ...

— Raemaekers' Cartoons - With Accompanying Notes by Well-known English Writers • Louis Raemaekers

... put up John during a part of his visit it would be a kindness to John himself, and an economy to the vicarage. Mr. Ambrose himself would not have gone to such a length; but then, as his wife said to herself in self-defence, Augustin did not pay the butcher's bills, and did not know how the money went. She did not say that Augustin was precisely what is called reckless, but he of course did not understand economy as she did. How should he, poor man, with all his sermons and his funerals and other ...

— A Tale of a Lonely Parish • F. Marion Crawford

... don't you think?" Miss Clementina said to the maid, as she watched him eat. "But he has a dreadful appetite. I think we'd best tell the butcher's boy to bring some dog's ...

— Ainslee's, Vol. 15, No. 6, July 1905 • Various

... got of the butcher, her supply of meat, they next visited the fish stalls.—"O mother! mother!" said the lively little boy, "see the fish all jumping alive. O look there! there!" Sure enough, here were fish, just out of the river, where the fishermen keep them in wooden cars or boxes, under water, till wanted ...

— Susan and Edward - or, A Visit to Fulton Market • Anonymous

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