butcher
/ˈbʊtʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbʊtʃər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbu̇-chər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbʊtʃ.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbʊtʃ.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
butcher — 名詞
- butchersingular
- butchersplural
1. a person whose job is to prepare and sell meat as food.
肉販；屠夫
以切割和販賣肉類為業的人
a person whose job is to prepare and sell meat as food.
The butcher wrapped the lamb chops in brown paper for Mrs. Okafor.
肉販用棕色紙把羊排包好交給 Okafor 太太。
collocation: butcher + wraps meat in paper
Wei asked the butcher to mince the beef for making dumplings.
Wei 請肉販把牛肉絞碎，好做餃子餡。
My grandfather worked as a butcher in the local market for forty years.
我祖父在當地市場當了四十年的肉販。
The butcher sharpened his knife before cutting the chicken.
肉販在切雞肉之前先把刀磨利。
- meat seller
more general, less common in everyday speech
- meat vendor
more formal, often used in commercial contexts
用法筆記
Often used with a possessive ('the butcher's') to refer to the shop where the butcher works.
常見錯誤
2. a shop where fresh meat is sold, usually run by a person trained as a butcher.
肉舖；肉店
販賣生鮮肉類的店鋪
a shop where fresh meat is sold, usually run by a person trained as a butcher.
The butcher's on Main Street sells the best sausages in town.
Main Street 那家肉店的香腸是鎮上最好吃的。
the butcher's = the shop
Camila stopped by the butcher to pick up some chicken for dinner.
Camila 順路去肉店買了一些雞肉當晚餐。
There is a butcher between the bakery and the grocery store.
麵包店和雜貨店之間有一家肉鋪。
- butcher shop
more common in American English
- butcher's
the possessive form, standard in British English
用法筆記
In British English, people usually say 'the butcher's' (possessive form) to mean the shop. In American English, 'the butcher' or 'the butcher shop' are more common.
常見錯誤
3. a person who kills large numbers of people in a violent and cruel way, or who ca
劊子手
殘忍殺害大量無辜者的人
a person who kills large numbers of people in a violent and cruel way, or who causes great suffering.
The dictator was described as a butcher who ordered the deaths of thousands.
這位獨裁者被形容為劊子手，下令殺害了數千人。
figurative use: dictator = butcher
History remembers the general as a butcher, not a military hero.
歷史記得這位將軍是個劊子手，而非軍事英雄。
The newspaper called the warlord a butcher after the attack on the village.
該報在村莊遭受襲擊後，稱軍閥為劊子手。
- mass murderer
focuses on the number killed, less emotional than 'butcher'
- slaughterer
even more brutal-sounding but less common
- protector
someone who keeps others safe
用法筆記
Used in strong condemnation. This sense carries heavy negative moral judgment and is common in historical and political writing.
常見錯誤
4. someone who does a job or task so badly that they ruin the result completely.
蹩腳師傅
把事情做得一團糟的人
someone who does a job or task so badly that they ruin the result completely.
The tailor was a butcher — he ruined my wedding dress completely.
那個裁縫簡直是個蹩腳師傅——他把我的婚紗徹底毀了。
figurative: person who ruins things = butcher
Do not let that plumber near the pipes; he is a butcher who always makes things worse.
別讓那個水管工碰水管；他是個蹩腳師傅，總是越弄越糟。
The previous editor was a butcher who cut every article to pieces without understanding it.
之前那個編輯是個蹩腳師傅，每篇文章都被他亂刪一通而不理解內容。
- bungler
less emotional, focuses on repeated mistakes
- incompetent
more general, less vivid
用法筆記
Strongly critical and informal. Often used for tradespeople (plumbers, tailors, builders) who do very poor work, but can extend to any profession.
常見錯誤
butcher — 動詞
- butcherpresent simple I / you / we / they
- butchers3rd person singular
- butchering-ing form
- butcheredpast simple
1. to kill an animal and cut it up into pieces to be sold or used as food.
屠宰
宰殺動物並分解以供食用
to kill an animal and cut it up into pieces to be sold or used as food.
The farmer butchered a pig to supply meat for the village festival.
農夫宰了一頭豬，為村莊的節慶提供肉類。
butcher + animal (pig)
In some regions, families butcher a goat for wedding celebrations.
在某些地區，家人會在婚禮時宰一頭羊來慶祝。
The slaughterhouse butchers about two hundred cattle every day.
這間屠宰場每天宰殺約兩百頭牛。
Kenji learned how to butcher a chicken from his grandmother.
Kenji 跟祖母學了如何宰雞。
文法句型
butcher + animal
用法筆記
Object is always an animal. Unlike 'slaughter', which can be done for disease control or other reasons, 'butcher' implies the animal is being processed for food.
常見錯誤
2. to kill people in a very violent, cruel way, especially in large numbers.
屠殺；殘殺
殘忍地殺害大量的人
to kill people in a very violent, cruel way, especially in large numbers.
The invading army butchered innocent villagers during the war.
入侵的軍隊在戰爭期間殘殺了無辜的村民。
butcher + people (victims)
Reports say the rebels butchered more than a hundred civilians in the attack.
報導指出叛軍在襲擊中屠殺了超過一百名平民。
The documentary showed how the regime butchered its political opponents.
該紀錄片揭示了該政權如何殘殺政治異議人士。
- massacre
focuses on the mass nature of the killing, often of defenceless people
- slaughter
similar emotional weight but also used for animals
- exterminate
sounds more systematic and deliberate
文法句型
butcher + people
用法筆記
Carries very strong emotional weight. Implies not just killing but cruelty and lack of humanity. Typically used for large-scale or systematic killing.
常見錯誤
3. to spoil or ruin something completely by doing it very badly or making serious m
搞砸；弄糟
因技術太差而徹底毀掉某事
to spoil or ruin something completely by doing it very badly or making serious mistakes — for example, playing a piece of music terribly, or installing a kitchen so poorly it cannot be used.
The builder butchered the kitchen renovation — the cabinets do not close properly.
那個工人把廚房翻修搞得一團糟——櫥櫃根本關不緊。
butcher = ruin through bad work
The young guitarist butchered the solo during the concert and the audience groaned.
那位年輕的吉他手在音樂會上把獨奏彈得亂七八糟，觀眾都唉聲嘆氣。
Do not let your brother cut your hair; he will butcher it completely.
別讓你弟弟幫你剪頭髮，他會剪得亂七八糟。
The translator butchered the poem by changing every line into something dull.
那位翻譯把這首詩糟蹋了，每一行都被改成索然無味的句子。
文法句型
butcher + noun phrase
用法筆記
Informal and expressive. Can be used for any activity where the result is far worse than expected — music, building, writing, cooking, translation.