massacre n : the savage and excessive killing of many people [syn: slaughter, mass murder, carnage, butchery] v : kill a large number of people indiscriminately; "The Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda" [syn: slaughter, mow down]

English

Pronunciation

• /ʼmæsɘkɘ*/

Etymology

French, from Late Latin mazacrium; compare Provincial German metzgern, metzgen, to kill cattle, German Metzger a butcher, and Low German matsken = to cut, hew, Old High German meizan to cut, Gothic máitan. See also French massacrer

Noun

1. The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people.

   the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day

   St. Valentine's Day massacre

   Amritsar massacre

   the Wounded Knee massacre

2. 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.

Synonyms

• butchery, carnage

  Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance.

  • 1592, William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus, I,v

    I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family

  Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts.

  • 1593, William Shakespeare, Richard III, I,ii

    If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries

  Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain.

  • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost''

    Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable!

Related terms

• mass murder

Translations

Verb

1. To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the usages of nations; to butcher; to slaughter - 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 Maximian had massacred the Theban legion

Translations

Portuguese

Noun

1. massacre

Related terms

• massacrar
• massacrante

Massacre may refer to:

• , the intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to "the usages established among civilized peoples" (International Humanitarian Law term from the Martens Clause).
• List of events named massacres.

Places

• Massacre, Dominica, a village on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean.

Comics

• Massacre (comics), a DC Comics villain.
• The Mutant Massacre (or "Morlock Massacre") was a major Marvel Comics crossover that took place during the last quarter of 1986.

Films

• Drive-In Massacre, a 1976 horror film.
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (film series), a disambiguation page to the horror film franchise named after the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Music

• Massacra, a 1990s French metal band.
• Massacre (Argentinian band), an Argentinian hardcore punk (early) and rock (newer) band.
• Massacre (band), an American death metal band.
• "Massacre" (song), a Thin Lizzy song from the album Johnny the Fox.
• Massacre (Fred Frith band), an experimental New York City band.
• Massacre Records, a record label.
• The Massacre, rapper 50 Cent's second commercial album.

Other

• "The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve", a Doctor Who serial.
• The Massacre (play), by the eighteenth/nineteenth-century dramatist Elizabeth Inchbald.

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