butchery

noun

butch·​ery ˈbu̇ch-rē How to pronounce butchery (audio)
ˈbu̇-chə-
plural butcheries
1
chiefly British : slaughterhouse
2
: the preparation of meat for sale
3
: cruel and ruthless slaughter of human beings
4
: botch

Examples of butchery in a Sentence

the butchery of civilians during the war butchery on a scale that horrified the civilized world
Recent Examples on the Web It's known as a small neighborhood restaurant that focuses on nose-to-tail butchery and farm-to-table and butcher shop, emphasizing minimizing waste and supporting a sustainable food system in the Great Lakes region. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Yu went on to open his own butchery, Meat & Essentials in San Marino, sharing many of Standing’s principles. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 But seam butchery—a European method of butchery—is being adopted more widely. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 That memory is at least part of the reason why Young – a wildly accomplished chef who has worked at some of the best restaurants in New England and the West Coast – decided to focus much of his culinary training on butchery. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 18 Jan. 2024 Craft butchery tends to use traditional techniques, rather than automation. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024 Jeju's rotating main course is based around whole animal butchery, sourced from small Pacific Northwest meat purveyors. Jordan Michelman, Bon Appétit, 9 Jan. 2024 Butcher’s Plate, which is doing all of its butchery and cooking in-house, held its grand opening on Jan. 6. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2024 Voss was inspired to take over the 11,000-square-foot space — formerly home to Spike Gjerde’s Parts & Labor, another butchery/restaurant hybrid — after briefly leasing the building to store 300 turkeys during a particularly busy time for his Baltimore County business. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'butchery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of butchery was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near butchery

Cite this Entry

“Butchery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butchery. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

butchery

noun
butch·​ery ˈbu̇ch-(ə-)rē How to pronounce butchery (audio)
plural butcheries
: brutal murder : great slaughter

More from Merriam-Webster on butchery

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