Massacre — Defs

01 n. The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized peo…

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.” — Shak.

“If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries.” — Shak.

“Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable!” — Milton.

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.

02 v. t. To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrar…

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.” — Macaulay.