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Synonyms

butchery

American  
[booch-uh-ree] / ˈbʊtʃ ə ri /

noun

plural

butcheries
  1. a slaughterhouse.

  2. brutal or wanton slaughter of animals or humans; carnage.

  3. the trade or business of a butcher.

  4. the act of bungling or botching.


butchery British  
/ ˈbʊtʃərɪ /

noun

  1. the business or work of a butcher

  2. wanton and indiscriminate slaughter; carnage

  3. a less common word for slaughterhouse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of butchery

1300–50; Middle English bocherie < Anglo-French, Middle French boucherie. See butcher, -y 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kakuta's restaurant has its own butchery, supplying bear meat dishes to a nearby hotel.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

The butchery signal is clear as well:"At Namorotukunan, cutmarks link stone tools to meat eating, revealing a broadened diet that endured across changing landscapes," said Frances Forrest at Fairfield University.

From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025

The building’s large main kitchen accommodates multiple classes, among them production baking and butchery.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

It was there that I came to see the possibilities in a robust whole-animal butchery program and a more radical approach to sourcing ingredients.

From Salon • Feb. 4, 2025

That butchery business was long ago; surely by now the sharks would be out of the habit of congregating here.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart