butcher

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular butcher

Plural butchers

two butchers

1. (countable) A butcher is a person who slices and sells meat.

   I went to the butcher to buy a steak.

2. (countable) A butcher is a person who kills and prepares animals as meat.

   The butcher killed the pig and made bacon.

3. (countable) A butcher is a person who kills in a violent way.

   Jack the Ripper was a crazy butcher of women.

Verb

Plain form butcher

Third-person singular butchers

Past tense butchered

Past participle butchered

Present participle butchering

1. (transitive) If you butcher an animal, you kill it and cut it up into meat.

   He had to butcher the sheep to get chops for his dinner.