What is the difference between slaughter and slay?
slaughter | slay | Related terms |
(uncountable) The killing of animals, generally for food; ritual slaughter (kosher and halal).
A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.
* Milton
A rout or decisive defeat.
To butcher animals, generally for food
To massacre people in large numbers
To kill in a particularly brutal manner
To kill, murder.
(literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
(by extension, colloquial) To defeat, overcome.
* 1956', “Giants '''Slay Bears in Pro Title Battle”, in ''Lodi News-Sentinel , 1956 December 31,
* 1985', “Redskins '''slay Giants; Thiesmann shatters leg”, in ''The Gadsden Times , 1985 November 19,
* 1993 , Jack Curry, “
(slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.
Slay is a synonym of slaughter.
Slay is a related term of slaughter.
As verbs the difference between slaughter and slay
is that slaughter is to butcher animals, generally for food while slay is to kill, murder.As a noun slaughter
is the killing of animals, generally for food; ritual slaughter (kosher and halal).As a proper noun Slaughter
is {{surname|lang=en}.slaughter
English
(wikipedia slaughter)Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Noun
(-)- on war and mutual slaughter bent
Derived terms
* kosher slaughter * lamb to the slaughter/like a lamb to the slaughter/come like a lamb to the slaughter * manslaughter * ritual slaughter * slaughterer * slaughterhouse * slaughterman * slaughterousVerb
(en verb)Anagrams
* English transitive verbsslay
English
Verb
- The knight slew the dragon.
- Our foes must all be slain .
- You must slay these thoughts.
page 8.
page D1-5.
Yanks’ Bullpen Falls Short Again”, in The New York Times , 1993 April 21:
- The Yankees were actually slayed by two former Yankees because Rich Gossage pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Eckersley to notch his first victory.
- Ha ha! You slay me!
Usage notes
* The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the slang sense, "to delight or overwhelm": *: {{quote-book, i2=*::, 1929, Harry Charles Witwer, Yes Man's Landcitation, passage="Cutey, you slayed me !" grins Jackie, working fast. "I guess that's what made the rest of 'em look so bad — you was so good!"}} * In recent use, "slayed" is also often found associated with the other senses as well. However, this is widely considered nonstandard."But slayed cannot be considered established in such use. Whether it eventually becomes established remains to be seen." — '>citation * A review of US usage 2000-2009 in COCA suggests that "slayed" is increasing in popularity, but remains less common than "slew". It is very rare in UK usage (BNC).