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Massacre

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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Nave Topical Bible
• Massacre
Dictionaries
Charles Buck Dictionary
• Massacre
Webster Dictionary
• Massacring
• Massacrer
• Massacred
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Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Massacre
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Innocents, Massacre of the
• Massacre of the Innocents
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Innocents, Massacre of, by Herod
• Vassy, Massacre of
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Glencoe, Massacre of
• September Massacres

a wholesale indiscriminate killing of persons, and also, in a transferred sense, of animals. The word is adopted from the French; but its origin is obscure. The meaning and the old form macecle seem to point to it being a corruption of the Lat. macellum, butcher's shop or shambles, hence meat market; this is probably from the root mac-, seen in /Ikea - Oat, to fight, Aaxacpa, sword, and Lat. mactare, to sacrifice. Another derivation connects with the Old Low Ger. matsken, to cut in pieces; cf. mod. Ger. metzeln, to massacre.