Massacre

Massacre

Noun / Verb · /ˈmæs.ə.kər/

Definition

(Noun) the indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of a large number of people; (Verb) to kill in such a manner; informally, to defeat decisively or perform very badly.

Origin

From French massacre, from Old French macacre or macecre (butchery), possibly from Frankish *mattskara (club for beating), or from Medieval Latin maceria (massacre, slaughter). The word entered English in the 16th century and has been used to describe mass killings since then. The informal sporting sense — we were massacred 7-0 — is a much later extension.