# slaughter

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈslɔːtə/ · frequency rank #9,099

## Definitions
1. The killing of animals, generally for food.
2. A massacre; the killing of a large number of people.
3. A mass destruction of non-living things.
4. A rout or decisive defeat.
5. A group of iguanas.

## Etymology
From Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse *slahtr, later sláttr, from Proto-Germanic *slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic *slahaną. Equivalent to slay + -ter (as in laughter). Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (“to hit, strike, throw”). Related with Dutch slachten, German schlachten, Finnish lahdata (all “to slaughter”).

## Common misspellings (14)
`lsaughter`, `salughter`, `slaguhter`, `slaugghter`, `slaughetr`, `slaughhter`, `slaughterr`, `slaughtre`, `slaughtter`, `slaugther`, `slauhgter`, `sllaughter`, `sluaghter`, `sslaughter`

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