butcher

n. a person whose job is to cut and sell meat in a shop.

n. a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh for food; a retailer of meat.

“I asked the butcher for two thick steaks for the barbecue.”

“The local butcher prides himself on sourcing all his beef from organic farms within the county.”

n. a person who kills people in a very cruel or violent way.

n. a person guilty of brutal or indiscriminate slaughter.

“History remembers the dictator as a butcher who showed no mercy.”

“The general was branded a butcher by the international press following the unprovoked attack on the civilian population.”

n. a quick look at something.

n. a look or glance; derived from Cockney rhyming slang 'butcher's hook'.

“Let's have a butcher's at those photos you took on holiday.”

“He told his mate to have a butcher's at the engine to see if he could spot the leak.”

British English · Slang · Informal

v. to kill an animal and cut it up for food.

v. to slaughter and prepare animals for market or consumption.

“The farmer learned how to butcher his own livestock to save money.”

“The chef demonstrated how to butcher a whole side of beef with minimal waste.”

v. to do something very badly or ruin it completely.

v. to botch or ruin something through incompetence or lack of care.

“The band really butchered that classic song by playing it too fast.”

“I was disappointed when the editor butchered my original manuscript, removing all the best metaphors.”

Informal