butcher

1 of 2

noun

butch·​er ˈbu̇-chər 

1

a

: a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh

b

: a dealer in meat

2

: one that kills ruthlessly or brutally

3

: one that bungles or botches

4

: a vendor especially on trains or in theaters

butcher

2 of 2

verb

butchered; butchering ˈbu̇-chə-riŋ 

ˈbu̇ch-

transitive verb

1

: to slaughter and dress for market

butcher hogs

2

: to kill in a barbarous manner

3

: botch

butchered the play

Synonyms

Noun

• blunderbuss
• blunderer
• botcher
• bumbler
• bungler
• fumbler
• screwup

Verb

• massacre
• mow (down)
• slaughter

Examples of butcher in a Sentence

Noun

the newest intern on the campaign is a butcher when it comes to writing press releases

Verb

They've hired someone to butcher the hogs.

Many innocent people were butchered under his regime.

The band has butchered my favorite song.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Alternatively, drive over the bridge for a casual lunch at Marrow, a zero-waste whole-animal butcher shop and bistro that neighbors Sister Pie. —Sarah Bence, AFAR Media, 3 Mar. 2025

Hunter, fisherman, chef and award-winning author Jesse Griffiths and Tamara Mayfield opened Dai Due restaurant and butcher shop in 2014 as an outgrowth of their popular supper club and farmers market stand, and the seasonal and local ethos of a farmers market is the anchor of this rustic beauty. —USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

Verb

The report found that a gang leader had ordered his men to round up residents and butcher them with machetes before burning their bodies and throwing them into the sea. —David C. Adams, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024

According to the study, these tools were likely used to clean and butcher animals more efficiently. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bocher, from Anglo-French, from buc he-goat, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Middle Irish bocc he-goat — more at buck entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing butcher

• butcher-bird
• butcher block
• butcher paper
• have/take a butcher's

Kids Definition

butcher

1 of 2 noun

butch·​er ˈbu̇ch-ər 

1

a

: one whose business is killing animals for sale as food

b

: a dealer in meat

2

: a person who kills in large numbers or in a brutal manner

butcher

2 of 2 verb

butchered; butchering -(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to slaughter and prepare for market

butcher hogs

2

: to kill in a barbarous manner : massacre

3

: to make a mess of : botch

butchered the performance