# butcher

/ˈbʊtʃɝ/ (US) · /bˈʊtʃɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/butcher
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. meat seller

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. brutal killer

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. a look

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Slang · Informal

a quick look at something.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually used in the construction 'have a butcher's'.

### 4. to prepare meat

verb · CEFR B2

to kill an animal and cut it up for food.

For teachers: 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.

### 5. to ruin something

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to do something very badly or ruin it completely.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- I asked the butcher for two pounds of ground beef.
- The local butcher is famous for making his own sausages every Friday morning.
- While supermarkets offer convenience, many residents still prefer the butcher for the superior quality of the cuts and the expert advice on preparation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.