The phrase "about to slaughter" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where someone is indicating an imminent act of killing or a metaphorical sense of overwhelming defeat.
Example: "The hunters were about to slaughter the herd as they prepared their weapons."
Alternatives: "on the verge of killing" or "ready to massacre".
Saddam's execution came early Dec. 30 before the sacred Muslim Eid al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, commemorating the day Abraham was about to slaughter his son on Mount Arafat but was spared the loss when a sheep appeared for offering.
I don't know what happened to the lunatic or the family he was about to slaughter.
He is also about to slaughter his pet hen, but then changes his mind and orders his pet to run away.
His third suspect is Kyung-chul - and he tracks the man down, catching him just as he is about to slaughter his next victim.
Note the calendar of saints feasts on the left and the depiction of a butcher about to slaughter a bull (Image in the Public Domain via the British Library, Additional 21114 ff. 6v).
James Brooke (NYT) Correction: November 28 , 2001 Wednesday A report in the World Briefing column yesterday about a plan to slaughter cattle in Japan to control mad cow disease misstated the percentage drop in wholesale prices for beef there after the discovery of two cases.
"The program has been fraught with serious problems from its inception," said Andrea Lococo, a regional coordinator for the Fund for Animals, which has a second lawsuit pending against the bureau under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information about horses going to slaughter.
The decree itself is self-explanatory about the intention to slaughter not only the diversity of opinion, but also striking in its breadth of liquidation.
"We're going to slaughter about 3percentt more pigs this year than we did last year — a record number," he said.
British singer Morrissey is a seasoned animal rights advocate and, heaven knows, he's now miserable about Australia's plan to slaughter 2m cats.
These are routinely implanted in cattle before entry into feedlots, about 100 days prior to slaughter, to increase muscle mass and profits for the meat industry.
