Word of the Day 7.23.9

abattoir

ab·at·toir (b-twär)

n.

1. A slaughterhouse.

2. Something likened to a slaughterhouse: “The hand of God and mankind’s self-inflicted blows seem equally heavy … giving a strong cumulative impression of the world as an abattoir” (Manchester Guardian Weekly).


[French, from abattre, to strike down, from Old French; see abate.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Noun

1.

abattoir – a building where animals are butchered

building, edifice – a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; “there was a three-story building on the corner”; “it was an imposing edifice”

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Posted on July 23, 2009 by admin

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