1
a
: a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh
b
: a dealer in meat
2
: one that kills ruthlessly or brutally
3
: one that bungles or botches
4
: a vendor especially on trains or in theaters
butchered; butchering
ˈbu̇-chə-riŋ 
ˈbu̇ch-
1
: to slaughter and dress for market
butcher hogs
2
: to kill in a barbarous manner
3
: botch
butchered the play
Synonyms
Examples of butcher in a Sentence
Noun
the newest intern on the campaign is a butcher when it comes to writing press releases
Verb
They've hired someone to butcher the hogs.
Many innocent people were butchered under his regime.
The band has butchered my favorite song.
Recent Examples on the Web
Erik S. Hanley, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Its products are sold at its West Village butcher shop, at Eastern Market on Saturdays year-round, and at Birmingham’s Farmer’s Market on select Sundays.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Nov. 2024
Antonio Planas, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Using these setups, however, can require stable internet connections, which can be harder to maintain within some regions where pig butchering compounds and other scamming have flourished.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for butcher 
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Noun
The closure announcement was made Oct. 26 on the butcher shop's official Facebook page.
—Erik S. Hanley, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Its products are sold at its West Village butcher shop, at Eastern Market on Saturdays year-round, and at Birmingham’s Farmer’s Market on select Sundays.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
It is not known whether the dolphin that was butchered was the same animal, the stranding center said.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Using these setups, however, can require stable internet connections, which can be harder to maintain within some regions where pig butchering compounds and other scamming have flourished.
—Matt Burgess, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for butcher
Articles Related to butcher
Dictionary Entries Near butcher
Cite this Entry
“Butcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butcher. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
butcher
1 of 2 noun
butch·er
ˈbu̇ch-ər
1
a
: one whose business is killing animals for sale as food
b
: a dealer in meat
2
: a person who kills in large numbers or in a brutal manner
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