#1 slaughter n. the killing of animals (as for food). wn #2 slaughter v. [butcher] kill (animals) usually for food consumption; "They slaughtered their only goat to survive the winter". wn #3 slaughter v. [massacre, mow down] kill a large number of people indiscriminately; "The Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda". wn #4 slaughter n. [thrashing, walloping, debacle, drubbing, trouncing, whipping] a sound defeat. wn #5 slaughter n. [massacre, mass murder, carnage, butchery] the savage and excessive killing of many people. wn