massacre
See also: massacré
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
- massacer (archaic)
EtymologyEdit
1580, from Middle French massacre, from Old French macacre, marcacre, macecre, macecle (“slaughterhouse, butchery”), usually thought to be deverbal from Old French macecrer, macecler (“to slaughter”), though the noun seems to be attested somewhat earlier. It is also found in Medieval Latin mazacrium (“massacre, slaughter, killing”, also “the head of a newly killed stag”). Further origin disputed:
- From Latin macellum (“butcher shop”).
- From Vulgar Latin *matteuculāre, from *matteuca (cf. massue), from Late Latin mattea, mattia, from Latin mateola.
- From Middle Low German *matskelen (“to massacre”) (compare German metzeln (“massacre”)), frequentative 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”) among others.
- Note also Arabic مَجْزَرَة (majzara), originally “spot where animals are slaughtered”, now also “massacre”, and in Maghrebi Arabic “slaughterhouse”. Derived from جَزَرَ (jazara, “to cut, slaughter”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
massacre (countable and uncountable, plural massacres)
- The killing of a considerable number (usually limited to people) where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to civilized norms.
- 1592, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, Act I, Scene v:
- I'll find a day to massacre them all,
And raze their faction and their family
- I'll find a day to massacre them all,
- 1592, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, Act I, Scene v:
- (obsolete) Murder.
- 1593, 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.
- The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
- 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third
- (figuratively) Any overwhelming defeat, as in a game or sport.
SynonymsEdit
- (mass killing contrary to civilized norms): butchery, slaughter (in the manner of livestock); decimation (strictly an orderly selection of ⅒ of a group for slaughter; see its entry for other terms concerning other ratios)
HyponymsEdit
- (mass killing contrary to civilized norms): atrocity; war crime; ethnic cleansing
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
intentional mass killing
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VerbEdit
massacre (third-person singular simple present massacres, present participle massacring, simple past and past participle massacred)
- (transitive) To kill in considerable numbers where little or no resistance can be made, with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to civilized norms. (Often limited to the killing of human beings.)
- 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History Of England From the Accession of James II
- If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximilian had massacred the Theban legion
- 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History Of England From the Accession of James II
- (figuratively) To win so decisively it is in the manner of so slaughtering one's opponent.
- (figuratively) To give a performance so poorly it is in the manner of so slaughtering the musical piece, play etc being performed.
TranslationsEdit
to kill in considerable numbers
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AnagramsEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from French massacre.
NounEdit
massacre m (plural massacres)
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “massacre” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle French massacre, from the verb massacrer.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
massacre m (plural massacres)
DescendantsEdit
VerbEdit
massacre
- first-person singular present indicative of massacrer
- third-person singular present indicative of massacrer
- first-person singular present subjunctive of massacrer
- third-person singular present subjunctive of massacrer
- second-person singular imperative of massacrer
Further readingEdit
- “massacre” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
AnagramsEdit
Middle FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
Of disputed origin:
- Most likely from Old French macecrer, macecler, from Vulgar Latin *matteuculāre, from *matteuca (cf. massue), from Late Latin mattia, *mattea, from Latin mateola.
- From a derivative of Latin macellum (“butcher shop”), although this is less likely.
- From Old French macacre, macecle (“slaughterhouse, butchery”), alternatively 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”)), frequentative 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”) among others.
NounEdit
massacre m (plural massacres)
DescendantsEdit
- French: massacre