Butcher — Defs

01 n. One who slaughters animals, or dresses their flesh for market; one whose occupation it is to kill animals for food.

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.

02 v. t. To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs.

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.” — Ford.
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.

Syn. mangle.