butcher

See also: Butcher

English

Butcher

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbʊt͡ʃ.ə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbʊt͡ʃ.ɚ/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊtʃə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English bocher, boucher, from Old French bouchier (“goat slaughterer”), from Old French bouc (“goat”), from Medieval Latin buccus (“he-goat”), of Germanic origin. More at English buck.

Noun

butcher (plural butchers)

1. A person who prepares and sells meat (and sometimes also slaughters the animals).
   • 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter I, in 'The House Behind the Cedars:

     He looked in vain into the stalls for the butcher who had sold fresh meat twice a week, on market days...

2. (figurative) A brutal or indiscriminate killer.
   • 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]:

     Butcher of an innocent child.

3. (Cockney rhyming slang, from butcher's hook) A look.
4. (informal, obsolete) A person who sells candy, drinks, etc. in theatres, trains, circuses, etc.
5. (colloquial, archaic, card games) A king playing card.

   Coordinate term: bitch

Synonyms

• carnager
• flesher 1
• mayhemist
• slayer 2

Derived terms

• butcherbird
• butcher bird
• butcher block
• butcher blue
• butcher boy
• butcherdom
• butcher knife
• butcher paper
• butcher's apron
• butcher's bill
• butcher's broom
• butcher's hook
• butcher shop
• butcher's knife
• butcher's mourning
• butcher's paper
• butcher's steak
• butcher's stripes
• butcher stripes
• fit as a butcher's dog
• horse butcher
• news butcher
• Piccadilly butcher
• pig butcher
• pork butcher
• slink butcher

 

Descendants

• → Hindi: बूचड़ (būcaṛ)
• → Swahili: bucha
• → Urdu: بُوچَڑ (būcaṛ)

Translations

person who prepares and sells meat

• Albanian: maqellar
• Apache:

  Western Apache: itsįʼ nyiłgeeshí

• Arabic: جَزَّار m (jazzār), قَصَّاب m (qaṣṣāb), لَحَّام m (laḥḥām)

  Egyptian Arabic: جزار m (gazzār)

  Hijazi Arabic: جَزَّار m (jazzār)

  Moroccan Arabic: جزار m (gazzār)

  North Levantine Arabic: لَحَّام m (laḥḥām)

  South Levantine Arabic: لَحَّام m (laḥḥām)

• Armenian: մսագործ (hy) (msagorc), մսավաճառ (hy) (msavačaṙ)
• Aromanian: cãrnar m, hãsap m, cãsap m
• Assamese: কচাই (kosai)
• Avar: къасабчи (qxʼasabči)
• Azerbaijani: qəssab (az), ətçi
• Basque: harakin (eu)
• Belarusian: мясні́к m (mjasník)
• Bengali: কসাই (bn) (kośai)
• Bulgarian: меса́р m (mesár), меса́рка f (mesárka), каса́пин m (kasápin), каса́пка f (kasápka), кола́ч m (koláč), кола́чка f (koláčka)
• Burmese: သားသတ်သမား (sa:satsa.ma:)
• Catalan: carnisser (ca) m, carnissera (ca) f
• Chechen: хаспанча (xaspanča)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屠夫 (zh) (túfū), 屠戶／屠户 (zh) (túhù), 賣肉者／卖肉者 (màiròuzhě)

• Cornish: kiger m, kigores f
• Czech: řezník (cs) m, řeznice f
• Danish: slagter (da) c
• Dongxiang: migvachi
• Dutch: slager (nl) m, beenhouwer (nl) m
• Egyptian: (jmnḥ m)
• Esperanto: buĉisto, buĉistino (female)
• Estonian: lihunik (et)
• Faroese: slaktari m, slátrari m
• Finnish: lihakauppias (fi), lihanleikkaaja (fi), teurastaja (fi)
• French: boucher (fr) m, bouchère (fr) f
• Gagauz: kasap
• Galician: carniceiro (gl) m, buxeo m, beche m
• Georgian: ყასაბი (ka) (q̇asabi)
• German: Fleischer (de) m, Fleischerin (de) f, Fleischhacker (de) m (Austrian), Fleischhackerin m (Austrian), Fleischhauer (de) m (Austrian), Fleischhauerin (de) m (Austrian), Metzger (de) m (esp. West Central German, South German), Metzgerin f (esp. West Central German, South German), Metzler m (Rhenish), Metzlerin f (Rhenish), Schlachter (de) m (North German), Schlachterin (de) f (North German), Schlächter (de) m (North German), Schlächterin f (North German), Knochenhauer (de) m (North German, obsolete), Knochenhauerin (de) f (North German, obsolete), Katzoff (de) m (Jewish, obsolescent), Katzuff (de) m (Jewish, obsolescent)
• Gothic: 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰 m (skilja)
• Greek: χασάπης (el) m (chasápis), κρεοπώλης (el) m (kreopólis)

  Ancient: ἄρταμος m (ártamos), μάγειρος m (mágeiros), σφαγεύς m (sphageús)

• Hebrew: שׁוֹחֵט m (shokhét), קַצָּב (he) m (katsáv)
• Hindi: क़साई m (qasāī), कसाई (hi) m (kasāī), बूचड़ (hi) m (būcaṛ), क़स्साब m (qassāb), कस्साब (hi) m (kassāb), गोघातक (hi) m (goghātak), बुजकसाब (hi) m (bujaksāb), बकरकसाब m (bakraksāb), कस्साई m (kassāī)
• Hungarian: hentes (hu), mészáros (hu)
• Icelandic: slátrari (is) m
• Ido: buchero, buchisto (io), karnovendisto (io), karno-vendisto
• Indonesian: tukang daging (id)
• Ingrian: mäsnikkä
• Irish: feolaire m, búistéir m
• Italian: macellaio (it) m, macellaia f
• Japanese: 肉屋 (ja) (にくや, nikuya)
• Kazakh: қасапшы (qasapşy), етші (etşı)
• Khmer: អ្នកលក់សាច់ (nĕək lŭək sac), គោឃាតក៍ (kookhiət)
• Korean: 푸주한 (pujuhan)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: قەساب (qesab)

  Northern Kurdish: qesab (ku), serjêker (ku)

• Kyrgyz: касапчы (ky) (kasapcı)
• Ladino: kasap
• Lao: ຄົນຂາຍຊີ້ນ (khon khāi sīn)
• Latin: lanius m, macellārius m
• Latvian: miesnieks m, miesniece f
• Lezgi: кьасабчи (q̇asabči)
• Limburgish: slechter (li) m
• Lithuanian: mėsininkas m
• Macedonian: месар m (mesar), месарка f (mesarka), касап m (kasap)
• Malay: tukang daging
• Maltese: biċċier m
• Middle English: bocher
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: яргачин (mn) (jargačin)

• Neapolitan: chianchiere
• Norman: bouochi m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: slakter m

  Nynorsk: slaktar m

• Ottoman Turkish: قصاب (kasâb)
• Pashto: قصاب (ps) m (qasāb)
• Persian: قَصّاب (fa) (qassâb)
• Plautdietsch: Fleescha m
• Polish: rzeźnik (pl) m, rzeźniczka f, masarz (pl) m, masarka (pl) f
• Portuguese: talhante (pt) m or f (Portugal), açougueiro (pt) m, açougueira f (Brazil)
• Quechua: ñak'aq
• Romanian: măcelar (ro) m, măcelăreasă (ro) f
• Romansch: mazler, batger, bacher
• Russian: мясни́к (ru) m (mjasník)
• Scottish Gaelic: feòladair m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ме̏са̄р m, ме̏сарица f, ка̀сапин m, касапинка f

  Roman: mȅsār (sh) m, mȅsarica (sh) f, kàsapin (sh) m, kasapinka (sh) f

• Sicilian: ghiancheri (scn) m, bucceri (scn) m, vucceri (scn) m, ucceri (scn) m
• Slovak: mäsiar (sk) m, mäsiarka f
• Slovene: mesar (sl) m, mesarka f
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: rěznik m, rěznica f

• Spanish: carnicero (es) m, carnicera (es) f, matarife m
• Swahili: bucha, mchinjaji
• Swedish: slaktare (sv) c, styckare c, charkuterist (sv) c (the salesman)
• Tagalog: manlalapa, tagalapa, matador
• Tajik: қассоб (qassob), гӯштфурӯш (güštfurüš)
• Tatar: итче (tt) (itçe)
• Telugu: కసాయి (te) (kasāyi)
• Thai: คนขายเนื้อ (kon-kǎai-nʉ́ʉa)
• Tibetan: ཤ་ཁང (sha khang)
• Turkish: kasap (tr)
• Turkmen: gassap
• Ukrainian: м'ясни́к (uk) m (mʺjasnýk), м'яса́р m (mʺjasár), м'яса́рка f (mʺjasárka)
• Urdu: قَصائی m (qasāī), قَصّاب m (qassāb), بُوچَڑ m (būcaṛ)
• Uyghur: قاسساپ (qassap)
• Uzbek: qassob (uz)
• Vietnamese: người hàng thịt
• Walloon: mangon (wa) m, botchî (wa) m, manguinresse (wa) f, botchresse (wa) f
• Welsh: cigydd (cy) m
• Yiddish: קצבֿ m (katsev), שוחט m (shoykhet)

brutal or indiscriminate killer

• Albanian: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: جَزَّار m (jazzār)
• Armenian: մսագործ (hy) (msagorc)
• Basque: odolzale
• Belarusian: мясні́к m (mjasník), кат m (kat)
• Bulgarian: каса́пин m (kasápin), каса́пка f (kasápka)
• Catalan: carnisser (ca) m
• Dutch: slachter (nl) m
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: teurastaja (fi)
• Georgian: ყასაბი (ka) (q̇asabi)
• German: Schlächter (de) m, Schlächterin f
• Greek: σφαγέας (el) m (sfagéas), μακελάρης (el) m (makeláris)

  Ancient Greek: σφαγεύς m (sphageús)

• Hindi: क़साई m (qasāī), कसाई (hi) m (kasāī)
• Hungarian: hóhér (hu), tömeggyilkos (hu)
• Indonesian: jagal (id)
• Italian: macellaio (it) m, carnefice (it) m
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: колач m (kolač), касап m (kasap)
• Middle English: bocher
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: slakter m

  Nynorsk: slaktar m

• Ottoman Turkish: قصاب (kasâb)
• Polish: rzeźnik (pl) m, kat (pl) m
• Portuguese: carniceiro (pt) m
• Romanian: măcelar (ro) m, casap (ro) m
• Russian: мясни́к (ru) m (mjasník), пала́ч (ru) m (paláč)
• Slovak: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: carnicero (es) m
• Swedish: slaktare (sv) c
• Tagalog: mamamatay-tao
• Telugu: కసాయి (te) (kasāyi)
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: м'ясни́к (uk) m (mʺjasnýk), кат (uk) m (kat)
• Urdu: قَصائی m (qasāī)
• Volapük: (♂♀) mipugan

person who sells candy, drinks, etc.

• Hungarian: mozgóárus (hu)

Verb

butcher (third-person singular simple present butchers, present participle butchering, simple past and past participle butchered)

1. (transitive) To slaughter (animals) and prepare (meat) for market.

   Synonyms: kill, slaughter

2. (intransitive) To work as a butcher.
   • 2008, Monte Dwyer, Red In The Centre: The Australian Bush Through Urban Eyes, Monyer Pty Ltd, page 121:

     He tells me he now earns three times as much as he did butchering.

3. (transitive) To kill brutally.

   Synonyms: massacre, slay

4. (transitive) To ruin (something), often to the point of defamation.

   The band at that bar really butchered "Hotel California".

   Synonym: murder

5. (transitive) To 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

Translations

slaughter animals and prepare meat for market

• Arabic: جَزَر m (jazar)
• Armenian: մորթել (hy) (mortʻel)
• Bulgarian: коля (bg) (kolja)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屠宰 (zh) (túzǎi)

• Czech: porážet (cs)
• Dutch: slachten (nl)
• Egyptian: (zfṯ)
• Esperanto: buĉi
• Finnish: teurastaa (fi), leikata (fi)
• French: abattre (fr)
• Friulian: macelâ
• Georgian: დაკვლა (daḳvla)
• German: schlachten (de)
• Greek: σφαγιάζω (el) (sfagiázo)

  Ancient: σφάζω (spházō), κρεουργέω (kreourgéō)

• Hungarian: levág (hu), leöl (hu)
• Indonesian: menjagal (id)
• Italian: macellare (it)
• Japanese: 屠殺する (ja) (とさつする, tosatsu suru)
• Kazakh: сою (soü)
• Latgalian: kaut
• Latvian: kaut (lv)
• Limburgish: slechte (li)
• Macedonian: касапи (kasapi), коле (kole)
• Navajo: náʼáłʼah
• Norwegian: slakte (no)
• Portuguese: abater (pt), talhar (pt), cortar (pt)
• Romanian: măcelări (ro), omorî (ro), tăia (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: транши́рати, ка̀сапити, меса́рити

  Roman: tranšírati (sh), kàsapiti (sh), mesáriti (sh)

• Spanish: carnear (es), matar (es), destazar (es)
• Swedish: slakta (sv), stycka (sv)
• Turkish: kesmek (tr)
• Volapük: miticöpön (vo)

kill brutally

• Arabic: جَزَر m (jazar), نَحَر m (naḥar)
• Bulgarian: убивам (bg) (ubivam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 屠殺／屠杀 (zh) (túshā)

• Dutch: slachten (nl), afslachten (nl)
• Finnish: teurastaa (fi)
• French: abattre (fr)
• German: niedermetzeln (de)
• Greek: σφάζω (el) (sfázo), μακελεύω (el) (makelévo) (informal)
• Indonesian: menjagal (id)
• Italian: massacrare (it)
• Limburgish: slechte (li), aafslechte
• Macedonian: коле (kole), касапи (kasapi)
• Norwegian: slakte (no)
• Polish: masakrować
• Portuguese: trucidar (pt), massacrar (pt)
• Romanian: măcelări (ro), căsăpi (ro), masacra (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: чѐречити

  Roman: čèrečiti (sh)

• Spanish: masacrar (es)
• Swedish: slakta (sv)
• Volapük: mipugön

ruin something

• Finnish: tuhota (fi), pilata (fi)
• French: charcuter (fr)
• Greek: καταστρέφω (el) (katastréfo), κατακρεουργώ (el) (katakreourgó)
• Italian: rovinare (it), danneggiare (it)
• Norwegian: slakte (no)
• Polish: rujnować (pl)
• Romanian: ciopârți (ro), masacra (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: иска̀сапити

  Roman: iskàsapiti (sh)

• Turkish: batırmak (tr), sıçıp sıvamak (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} buchar (io)

References

• (king playing card): 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

Etymology 2

butch +‎ -er

Adjective

butcher

1. comparative form of butch: more butch
   • 2003, Alisa Solomon, Re-Dressing the Canon: Essays on Theatre and Gender, page 170:

     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).

Anagrams

• Buchert