# hecatomb

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɛkətuːm/

## Definitions
1. A great public sacrifice to the gods, originally of a hundred oxen; also, a great number of animals reserved for such a sacrifice.
2. A great public sacrifice in other religions; also, a great number of animals or people reserved for such a sacrifice.
3. A great number of animals, people, or things that are sacrificed or destroyed; any great sacrifice; also (generally), a large amount.

## Etymology
The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin hecatombē (“great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb”), from Ancient Greek ἑκατόμβη (hekatómbē, “great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb; any animal sacrifice or large sacrifice”, from ἑκᾰτόν (hekătón, “hundred”) + βοῦς (boûs, “cattle, cow, ox”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hecatomb