[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/slaughter.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/) / slaughter [← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/S/) # slaughter «slaughter» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **to kill them for food** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech verb (slaughter, slaughters, slaughtered, slaughtering); noun (slaughter, uncountable) ### meaning for a pupil 1) To slaughter animals means to kill them for food. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#m1) 2) To slaughter people means to kill many of them cruelly, for example in a war. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#m2) 3) (noun) Slaughter is the killing of animals for meat, or the cruel killing of many people. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#m3) 4) (informal) To slaughter a team or player means to beat them very easily: "we got slaughtered 8–0". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#m4) ### sense in the lessons In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Torah slaughter can mean killing in battle, or the killing of an animal for a sacrifice. In the prophets "lambs to the slaughter" is a picture of people brought down helplessly to destruction. Zechariah speaks of a "flock of slaughter," people doomed to be killed. Interpretation: Jewish law has strict rules for slaughtering animals for food (shechita), done quickly and with a sharp knife. The tradition reads Zechariah's flock as Israel's poor and weak, led by bad shepherds. In the primary lessons: In farming and food lessons, animals are slaughtered to make meat, under rules about welfare. In history, slaughter describes terrible battles. In sport talk, "slaughter" is an exaggeration for a big win. Phrases: slaughter animals, the slaughter of, like lambs to the slaughter, get slaughtered. ### examples - And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh — the same is the King's Vale. (Torah GEN.14.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x1) - Presumably, the anatomy of slaughtered livestock would have been fairly familiar to many writers and readers of the time, while blessedly few indeed would have had first-hand knowledge of human innards.] Like what did He make them? (A city) [strife]. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x2) - Thus said the LORD my God: 'Feed the flock of slaughter; (Prophets ZEC.11.4, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x3) - So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily the poor of the flock. (Prophets ZEC.11.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x4) - I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats. (Prophets JER.51.40, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x5) - Cattle are slaughtered to provide beef. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x6) - The battle ended in terrible slaughter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x7) - We got slaughtered 7–0 in the final. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x8) - The farmer sent the pigs to be slaughtered. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x9) - "Like lambs to the slaughter" means going without knowing the danger. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x10) - The wolves slaughtered several sheep in the night. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x11) - The storm still continuing, he was obliged to slaughter his yoke oxen for food. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/#x12) ### note Pronounced "SLAW-ter". A slaughterhouse (or abattoir) is where animals are killed for meat. The sport meaning is informal and an exaggeration. It is a strong, upsetting word in its war meaning. ### In the corpora - [And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Arameans with a great slaughter.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1KI.747/) - [Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that were slain by Him?](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/ISA.552/) - [I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/JER.1417/) - [And they that fall away are gone deep in making slaughter; and I am rejected of them all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/HOS.60/) - [Thus said the LORD my God: 'Feed the flock of slaughter;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/ZEC.158/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «slaughter» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/slaughter/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.