butchery

/ˈbʊtʃəri/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʊtʃɚi] /ˈbʊtʃəri/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈʊtʃɚi] /ˈbu̇-chə-rē How to pronounce butchery (audio) ˈbu̇ch-/ (ame, mw)

butchery — noun

1. the skill or trade of turning animals into meat that people can buy

1.名詞C1
釋義

the skill or trade of turning animals into meat that people can buy

例句

Gabriel learned basic butchery while helping at his uncle's farm.

basic butchery as a learned trade or skill

The course teaches butchery, food safety, and proper knife control.

同義詞

用法筆記

Often refers to the skill, training, or business side of working with meat, not to one single cut.

常見錯誤

❌She studied butchery because she wanted to bake wedding cakes.
✅She studied butchery because she wanted to work with meat.
💡butchery is about slaughtering and preparing meat, not general cooking.

2. a slaughterhouse or similar facility used to kill animals and prepare the carcas

2.名詞C1
釋義

a slaughterhouse or similar facility used to kill animals and prepare the carcasses for sale as meat

例句

Inspectors closed the butchery after finding blood on the loading floor.

close the butchery to mean shut the facility

The village butchery stood behind the market and smelled of fresh meat.

同義詞

用法筆記

Distinguish from noun/3: this sense is the place where animals are killed and first processed, not the retail counter where customers buy meat.

常見錯誤

❌We bought sausages at the butchery after school.
✅We bought sausages at the butcher's shop after school.
💡this sense names the killing facility, not the customer-facing shop.

3. a butcher's shop, or the meat counter inside a larger store

3.名詞B2
釋義

a butcher's shop, or the meat counter inside a larger store

例句

Maeve stopped at the butchery to buy pork chops for dinner.

stop at the butchery to buy fresh meat

The new supermarket added a butchery beside its bakery section.

同義詞
  • butcher's shop

    the ordinary phrase for a shop that sells meat

  • meat counter

    used when the shop is one section inside a bigger store

  • meat market

    broader and can mean an open market rather than one shop

用法筆記

Distinguish from noun/2: this sense is the retail side where customers order and buy meat.

常見錯誤

❌The cattle were taken to the butchery before sunrise.
✅The cattle were taken to the slaughterhouse before sunrise.
💡this shop sense is for buying meat, not for killing animals.

4. brutal killing that shows no care for human life, especially when many people di

4.名詞C1
釋義

brutal killing that shows no care for human life, especially when many people die

例句

The reporter described the prison attack as pure butchery.

describe violence as butchery to condemn it strongly

Photos from the village revealed the butchery left by the soldiers.

同義詞
  • massacre

    common term for killing many people, often in historical or news contexts

  • slaughter

    broader word that can describe killing people or animals

  • bloodbath

    more vivid and journalistic, stressing shocking violence

用法筆記

Usually carries strong moral condemnation and is common in reports of war, prison attacks, or other deliberate violence.

常見錯誤

❌The paper called the car crash a butchery.
✅The paper called the prison attack a butchery.
💡the word suggests deliberate brutal killing, usually involving several victims.