Butcher /(bụch"ẽr)/

Butch·er

Butcher

n.
  1. One who slaughters animals, or dresses their flesh for market; one whose occupation it is to kill animals for food.
  2. A slaughterer; one who kills in large numbers, or with unusual cruelty; one who causes needless loss of life, as in battle.

Phrases & Compounds
Butcher's meat
such flesh of animals slaughtered for food as is sold for that purpose by butchers, as beef, mutton, lamb, and pork.

Butcher

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Butchered; p. pr. & vb. n. Butchering

  1. To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs.
  2. To murder, or kill, especially in an unusually bloody or barbarous manner.
    [Ithocles] was murdered, rather butchered.
  3. to bungle badly; to botch; -- used also when an object is damaged (literally or figuratively) in an activity; as, the new choir butchered the hymn.