Meanings
proper nounthe Massacre of the Innocents
- ChristianityThe incident in the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem.
- UKhumorousgovernmentThe abandonment of potentially useful measures at the end of a session in the House of Commons, since there is no time to pass them.
Translations
Dutch Kindermoord van Bethlehem
- Kindermoord van BethlehemChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
French massacre des Innocents
- massacre des InnocentsChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
German Kindermord in Bethlehem, Bethlehemitischer Kindermord
- Kindermord in BethlehemChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
- Bethlehemitischer KindermordChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
Italian strage degli innocenti
- strage degli innocentiChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
Portuguese Massacre dos Inocentes
- Massacre dos InocentesChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
Spanish matanza de los Inocentes
- matanza de los InocentesChristianity: incident in the nativity narrative
Cite this entry
APA
Massacre of the Innocents. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Massacre%20of%20the%20Innocents
MLA
“Massacre of the Innocents.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Massacre%20of%20the%20Innocents. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Massacre of the Innocents,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Massacre%20of%20the%20Innocents.
Source: Massacre of the Innocents on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.