Massacre /(?)/

Mas·sa·cre

Massacre

n.
  1. The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day; the St. Valentine's Day massacre; the Amritsar massacre; the Wounded Knee massacre.
  2. Murder. [Obs.]
    I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family.
    If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries.
    Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable!
Syn. -- Massacre, Butchery, Carnage.

Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain.

Massacre

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Massacred; p. pr. & vb. n. Massacring

  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.
    If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximian had massacred the Theban legion.