[syn: slaughter, massacre, mass murder, carnage, butchery]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Butchery \Butch"er*y\, n. [OE. bocherie shambles, fr. F.
   boucherie. See Butcher, n.]
   1. The business of a butcher. [Obs.]
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   2. Murder or manslaughter, esp. when committed with unusual
      barbarity; great or cruel slaughter. --Shak.
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            The perpetration of human butchery.   --Prescott.
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   3. A slaughterhouse; the shambles; a place where blood is
      shed. [Obs.]
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            Like as an ox is hanged in the butchery. --Fabyan.
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   Syn: Murder; slaughter; carnage. See Massacre.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
butchery
    n 1: a building where animals are butchered [syn: abattoir,
         butchery, shambles, slaughterhouse]
    2: the business of a butcher [syn: butchery, butchering]
    3: the savage and excessive killing of many people [syn:
       slaughter, massacre, mass murder, carnage,
       butchery]