The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day.
Murder. [Obs.] Shak.
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.
98,828 entries. Headwords are matched first, then definition text.