Massacre

Massacre
Massacre Mas"sa*cre, n. [F., fr. LL. mazacrium; cf. Prov. G. metzgern, metzgen, to kill cattle, G. metzger a butcher, and LG. matsken to cut, hew, OHG. meizan to cut, Goth. m['a]itan.] 1. The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day; the St. Valentine's Day massacre; the Amritsar massacre; the Wounded Knee massacre. [1913 Webster +PJC]

2. Murder. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Syn: {Massacre}, {Butchery}, {Carnage}.

Usage: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. [1913 Webster]

I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable! --Milton. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
(human beings), , , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • massacre — [ masakr ] n. m. • XVIe; macecre « abattoir » fin XIe; de massacrer I ♦ 1 ♦ Vx Action de tuer une grande quantité de gibier. Sonner le massacre, la curée. 2 ♦ (1753) …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Massacre — Datos generales Origen Buenos Aires, Argentina …   Wikipedia Español

  • massacre — MASSACRE. s. m. Tuerie, carnage. Il se dit principalement des hommes qu on tuë sans qu ils se défendent. Grand massacre. sanglant massacre. horrible massacre. le massacre des Innocents fait par Herode. le massacre des Vespres Siciliennes. le… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • massacre — n Massacre, slaughter, butchery, carnage, pogrom are comparable when they mean a great and often wanton killing of human beings. Massacre implies promiscuous and wholesale slaying, especially of those who are not prepared to defend themselves and …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Massacre — Mas sa*cre, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Massacred}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Massacring}.] [Cf. F. massacrer. See {Massacre}, n.] To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • massacré — massacré, ée (ma sa kré, krée) part. passé de massacrer. Les intérêts des Juifs déjà me sont sacrés. •   Parlez : vos ennemis aussitôt massacrés, Victimes de la foi que ma bouche vous jure, De ma fatale erreur répareront l injure, RAC. Esth. III …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • massacre — Massacre, Un grand massacre, c est à dire grand meurtre. En Venerie on dit le massacre du Cerf, quand il est desfait …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • massacre — [n] killing of many annihilation, assassination, bloodbath, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, extermination, genocide, internecion, murder, slaughter, slaying; concept 252 massacre [v] kill, often in great numbers annihilate, butcher,… …   New thesaurus

  • massacre — m. massacre ; tuerie. voir chaple …   Diccionari Personau e Evolutiu

  • Massacre — (fr., spr. Massaker), Blutbad, Metzelei; daher Massacriren, ermorden …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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