English word slaughter comes from Proto-Indo-European *slak-, and later Proto-Germanic *slahaną (To hit, to strike. To kill.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *slak- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to beat, pound, to hit, hammer, to hit, throw |
| *slahtō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *slahaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To hit, to strike. To kill. |
| *slahtrą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| slátr | Old Norse (non) | |
| slaughter | English (eng) | (uncountable) The killing of animals, generally for food; ritual slaughter (kosher and halal).. A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.. A rout or decisive defeat. (transitive) To butcher animals, generally for food. (transitive) To kill in a particularly brutal manner. (transitive) To massacre people in large numbers. |