Syn. -- Massacre, Butchery, Carnage. Massacre denotes the promiscuous
slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance.
Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if
they were brute beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the
heaped-up bodies of the slain.
I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and
their family.
Shak.
If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Brhold this pattern of
thy butcheries.
Shak.
Such a scent I draw Of carnage, prey innumerable !
Milton.
Mas"sa*cre, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Massacred (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Massacring (?).] [Cf. F. massacrer. See Massacre, n.] To kill in
considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill
with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the
usages of nations; to butcher; to slaughter; -- limited to the killing
of human beings.
If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximian had
massacred the Theban legion.
Macaulay.