massacre
pronunciation
How to pronounce massacre in British English:
UK [ˈmæsəkə(r)]
How to pronounce massacre in American English:
US [ˈmæsəkər]
-
- Noun:
- the savage and excessive killing of many people
-
- Verb:
- kill a large number of people indiscriminately
Word Origin
- massacre (v.)
- 1580s, from Middle French massacrer "to slaughter" (16c.), from massacre (n.) "wholesale slaughter, carnage" (see massacre (n.)). Related: Massacred; massacring.
- massacre (n.)
- 1580s, from Middle French massacre "wholesale slaughter, carnage," from Old French macacre, macecle "slaughterhouse, butchery," of unknown origin; perhaps related to Latin macellum "provisions store, butcher shop."
Example
- 1. So what would happen if a massacre took place ?
- 2. Another was the massacre on norway 's ut ya island .
- 3. It was the worst peacetime massacre in this normally tranquil nordic country 's modern history .
- 4. In the days after the virginia tech massacre , however , the system was struck by enormous surges of grief .
- 5. At the outset , western warplanes prevented a massacre in benghazi .