Meanings
butcher1
nounbutcher (plural butchers)
plural butchers
- figurativelyA brutal or indiscriminate killer.
Butcher of an innocent child.
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]Synonyms: mayhemist
- CockneyslangA look.
- informalobsoleteA person who sells candy, drinks, etc. in theatres, trains, circuses, etc.
- archaiccolloquialcard gamesA king playing card.
verbbutcher (third-person singular simple present butchers, present participle butchering, simple past and past participle butchered)
present singular third person butchers · participle present butchering · participle past butchered · past butchered
- intransitiveTo work as a butcher.
He tells me he now earns three times as much as he did butchering.
2008, Monte Dwyer, Red In The Centre: The Australian Bush Through Urban Eyes, Monyer Pty Ltd, page 121 - transitiveTo ruin (something), often to the point of defamation.
The band at that bar really butchered "Hotel California".
Synonyms: murder
- transitiveTo mess up hopelessly; to botch; to distort beyond recognition.
I am bad at pronouncing names, so my apologies if I butcher any of your names.
Synonyms: debase, bastardize
butcher2
adjective
- comparativecomparative form of butch: more butch
Weaver and Shaw dance together and almost immediately another butch, an even butcher butch (Leslie Feinberg), cuts in to dance with Shaw (though Shaw would kill me if she heard me call someone a butcher butch).
2003, Alisa Solomon, Re-Dressing the Canon: Essays on Theatre and Gender, page 170
Butcher3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA brutal or indiscriminate killer.
Similar
verbTo ruin (something), often to the point of defamation.
Similar
verbTo mess up hopelessly; to botch; to distort beyond recognition.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who slaughters or dresses meat for market
Similar
Broader
skilled workertrained worker
nounsomeone who makes mistakes because of incompetence
Broader
incompetentincompetent person
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
butcher · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuǵ-“buck, ram”
- Proto-Germanic*bukkaz“male goat, male deer”
- Frankish*bukk
- Medieval Latinbuccus“he-goat”
- Old Frenchbouc“goat”
- Old Frenchbouchier“goat slaughterer”
- Middle Englishbocher
- Englishbutcher
From Middle English bocher, boucher, from Old French bouchier (“goat slaughterer”), from Old French bouc (“goat”), from Medieval Latin buccus (“he-goat”), from Frankish *bukk, from Proto-Germanic *bukkaz (“male goat, male deer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuǵ- (“buck, ram”). See also English buck.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἄρταμος, μάγειρος
- ἄρταμος (ártamos)person who prepares and sells meat
- μάγειρος (mágeiros)person who prepares and sells meat
- σφαγεύς (sphageús)person who prepares and sells meat
- σφαγεύς (sphageús)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- σφάζω (spházō)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- κρεουργέω (kreourgéō)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Arabic جَزَّار, قَصَّاب
- جَزَّار (jazzār)person who prepares and sells meat
- قَصَّاب (qaṣṣāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- لَحَّام (laḥḥām)person who prepares and sells meat
- لَحَّام (laḥḥām)person who prepares and sells meat
- جَزَّار (jazzār)person who prepares and sells meat
- قَصَّاب (qaṣṣāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- جَزَّار (jazzār)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- جَزَر (jazar)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- جَزَر (jazar)kill brutally
- نَحَر (naḥar)kill brutally
Basque harakin, odolzale
- harakinperson who prepares and sells meat
- odolzalebrutal or indiscriminate killer
Bengali কসাই
- কসাই (kośai)person who prepares and sells meat
Bulgarian меса́р, меса́рка
- меса́р (mesár)person who prepares and sells meat
- меса́рка (mesárka)person who prepares and sells meat
- каса́пин (kasápin)person who prepares and sells meat
- каса́пка (kasápka)person who prepares and sells meat
- кола́ч (koláč)person who prepares and sells meat
- кола́чка (koláčka)person who prepares and sells meat
- каса́пин (kasápin)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- каса́пка (kasápka)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- коля (kolja)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- убивам (ubivam)kill brutally
Catalan carnisser, carnissera
- carnisserperson who prepares and sells meat
- carnisseraperson who prepares and sells meat
- carnisserbrutal or indiscriminate killer
Chinese Mandarin 屠夫, 屠戶 /屠户
- 屠夫 (túfū)person who prepares and sells meat
- 屠戶 /屠户 (túhù)person who prepares and sells meat
- 賣肉者 /卖肉者 (màiròuzhě)person who prepares and sells meat
- 屠夫 (túfū)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- 屠宰 (túzǎi)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- 屠殺 /屠杀 (túshā)kill brutally
Czech řezník, řeznice
- řezníkperson who prepares and sells meat
- řezniceperson who prepares and sells meat
- masařperson who prepares and sells meat
- masařkaperson who prepares and sells meat
- řezníkbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- porážetslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Danish slagter
- slagterperson who prepares and sells meat
Dutch slager, beenhouwer
- slagerperson who prepares and sells meat
- beenhouwerperson who prepares and sells meat
- slachterbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- slachtenslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- slachtenkill brutally
- afslachtenkill brutally
Esperanto buĉisto, buĉistino
- buĉistoperson who prepares and sells meat
- buĉistinoperson who prepares and sells meat
- porkajistoperson who prepares and sells meat
- buĉislaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Estonian lihunik
- lihunikperson who prepares and sells meat
Finnish lihakauppias, lihanleikkaaja
- lihakauppiasperson who prepares and sells meat
- lihanleikkaajaperson who prepares and sells meat
- teurastajaperson who prepares and sells meat
- teurastajabrutal or indiscriminate killer
- teurastaaslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- leikataslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- teurastaakill brutally
- tuhotaruin something
- pilataruin something
French boucher, bouchère
- boucherperson who prepares and sells meat
- bouchèreperson who prepares and sells meat
- abattreslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- abattrekill brutally
- charcuterruin something
German Fleischer, Fleischerin
- Fleischerperson who prepares and sells meat
- Fleischerinperson who prepares and sells meat
- Fleischhackerperson who prepares and sells meat
- Fleischhackerinperson who prepares and sells meat
- Fleischhauerperson who prepares and sells meat
- Fleischhauerinperson who prepares and sells meat
- Metzgerperson who prepares and sells meat
- Metzgerinperson who prepares and sells meat
- Metzlerperson who prepares and sells meat
- Metzlerinperson who prepares and sells meat
- Schlachterperson who prepares and sells meat
- Schlachterinperson who prepares and sells meat
- schlachtenslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- niedermetzelnkill brutally
Greek χασάπης, κρεοπώλης
- χασάπης (chasápis)person who prepares and sells meat
- κρεοπώλης (kreopólis)person who prepares and sells meat
- σφαγέας (sfagéas)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- μακελάρης (makeláris)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- σφαγιάζω (sfagiázo)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- σφάζω (sfázo)kill brutally
- μακελεύω (makelévo)kill brutally
- καταστρέφω (katastréfo)ruin something
- κατακρεουργώ (katakreourgó)ruin something
Hebrew שׁוֹחֵט, קַצָּב
- שׁוֹחֵט (shokhét)person who prepares and sells meat
- קַצָּב (katsáv)person who prepares and sells meat
Hindi चिक, चिकवा
- चिक (cik)person who prepares and sells meat
- चिकवा (cikvā)person who prepares and sells meat
- क़साई (qasāī)person who prepares and sells meat
- कसाई (kasāī)person who prepares and sells meat
- बूचड़ (būcaṛ)person who prepares and sells meat
- क़स्साब (qassāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- कस्साब (kassāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- गोघातक (goghātak)person who prepares and sells meat
- बुजकसाब (bujaksāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- बकरकसाब (bakraksāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- कस्साई (kassāī)person who prepares and sells meat
- क़साई (qasāī)brutal or indiscriminate killer
Hungarian hentes, mészáros
- hentesperson who prepares and sells meat
- mészárosperson who prepares and sells meat
- hóhérbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- tömeggyilkosbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- mozgóárusperson who sells candy, drinks, etc.
- levágslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- leölslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Icelandic slátrari
- slátrariperson who prepares and sells meat
Indonesian tukang daging, jagal
- tukang dagingperson who prepares and sells meat
- jagalbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- menjagalslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- menjagalkill brutally
Irish feolaire, búistéir
- feolaireperson who prepares and sells meat
- búistéirperson who prepares and sells meat
Italian macellaio, macellaia
- macellaioperson who prepares and sells meat
- macellaiaperson who prepares and sells meat
- macellaiobrutal or indiscriminate killer
- carneficebrutal or indiscriminate killer
- macellareslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- massacrarekill brutally
- rovinareruin something
- danneggiareruin something
Japanese 肉屋, 屠殺する
- 肉屋 (nikuya)person who prepares and sells meat
- 屠殺する (tosatsu suru)slaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Korean 푸주한
- 푸주한 (pujuhan)person who prepares and sells meat
Latin lanius, macellārius
- laniusperson who prepares and sells meat
- macellāriusperson who prepares and sells meat
Latvian miesnieks, miesniece
- miesnieksperson who prepares and sells meat
- miesnieceperson who prepares and sells meat
- kautslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
Lithuanian mėsininkas, mėsininkė
- mėsininkasperson who prepares and sells meat
- mėsininkėperson who prepares and sells meat
Malay tukang daging
- tukang dagingperson who prepares and sells meat
Norwegian slakte, slåtra
- slakteslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- slåtraslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- slaktekill brutally
- slakteruin something
Norwegian Bokmål slakter, slakter
- slakterperson who prepares and sells meat
- slakterbrutal or indiscriminate killer
Polish rzeźnik, rzeźniczka
- rzeźnikperson who prepares and sells meat
- rzeźniczkaperson who prepares and sells meat
- masarzperson who prepares and sells meat
- masarkaperson who prepares and sells meat
- rzeźnikbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- katbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- masakrowaćkill brutally
- rujnowaćruin something
Portuguese talhante, açougueiro
- talhanteperson who prepares and sells meat
- açougueiroperson who prepares and sells meat
- açougueiraperson who prepares and sells meat
- carniceirobrutal or indiscriminate killer
- abaterslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- talharslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- cortarslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- trucidarkill brutally
- massacrarkill brutally
Romanian măcelar, măcelăreasă
- măcelarperson who prepares and sells meat
- măcelăreasăperson who prepares and sells meat
- măcelarbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- casapbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- măcelărislaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- omorîslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- tăiaslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- măcelărikill brutally
- căsăpikill brutally
- masacrakill brutally
- ciopârțiruin something
- masacraruin something
Russian мясни́к, мясни́к
- мясни́к (mjasník)person who prepares and sells meat
- мясни́к (mjasník)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- пала́ч (paláč)brutal or indiscriminate killer
Scottish Gaelic feòladair
- feòladairperson who prepares and sells meat
Slovak mäsiar, mäsiarka
- mäsiarperson who prepares and sells meat
- mäsiarkaperson who prepares and sells meat
- zabijakbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- zabijákbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- zabijačbrutal or indiscriminate killer
- zabíjačbrutal or indiscriminate killer
Spanish carnicero, carnicera
- carniceroperson who prepares and sells meat
- carniceraperson who prepares and sells meat
- matarifeperson who prepares and sells meat
- carnicerobrutal or indiscriminate killer
- carnearslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- matarslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- destazarslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- despostarslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- pishtarslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- masacrarkill brutally
- carnearkill brutally
- mascullarto mess up
- mamullarto mess up
- chapurrarto mess up
- chapurrearto mess up
- mascujarto mess up
Swahili bucha, mchinjaji
- buchaperson who prepares and sells meat
- mchinjajiperson who prepares and sells meat
Swedish slaktare, styckare
- slaktareperson who prepares and sells meat
- styckareperson who prepares and sells meat
- charkuteristperson who prepares and sells meat
- slaktarebrutal or indiscriminate killer
- slaktaslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- styckaslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- slaktakill brutally
Tagalog manlalapa, tagalapa
- manlalapaperson who prepares and sells meat
- tagalapaperson who prepares and sells meat
- matadorperson who prepares and sells meat
- mamamatay-taobrutal or indiscriminate killer
Thai คนขายเนื้อ
- คนขายเนื้อ (kon-kǎai-nʉ́ʉa)person who prepares and sells meat
Turkish kasap, kesmek
- kasapperson who prepares and sells meat
- kesmekslaughter animals and prepare meat for market
- batırmakruin something
- sıçıp sıvamakruin something
Ukrainian м'ясни́к, м'яса́р
- м'ясни́к (mʺjasnýk)person who prepares and sells meat
- м'яса́р (mʺjasár)person who prepares and sells meat
- м'яса́рка (mʺjasárka)person who prepares and sells meat
- м'ясни́к (mʺjasnýk)brutal or indiscriminate killer
- кат (kat)brutal or indiscriminate killer
Urdu قَصائی, قَصَّاب
- قَصائی (qasāī)person who prepares and sells meat
- قَصَّاب (qassāb)person who prepares and sells meat
- بُوچَڑ (būcaṛ)person who prepares and sells meat
- قَصائی (qasāī)brutal or indiscriminate killer
Vietnamese người hàng thịt
- người hàng thịtperson who prepares and sells meat
Welsh cigydd
- cigyddperson who prepares and sells meat
Yiddish קצבֿ, שוחט
- קצבֿ (katsev)person who prepares and sells meat
- שוחט (shoykhet)person who prepares and sells meat
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
butcher. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butcher
MLA
“butcher.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butcher. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “butcher,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/butcher.
Source: butcher on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.