butcher

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'butcher' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it as a noun to refer to someone whose job is to cut up and prepare meat for sale, or as a verb to mean to ruin or ruin something. Example sentence: "The butcher cut the meat into small cubes for me to take home."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Lifestyle

Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As soon as the butcher, who was not Jewish, found out why they wanted the weights, he told them, "in no uncertain terms, to fuck off".

The Guardian

"Our head butcher works very closely with the farm manager, and this has a big impact on the way we run the business".

The Guardian

False breasts were banned from page 3 (at readers' request) in 1997, and the cheesier poses and wildly punning captions ("A lovely bit of rump and the topside's tasty too... MEAT luscious Laura Frankland – the first Page Three beauty who is also a qualified BUTCHER") were binned a year later.

The Guardian

Among the people here, it's not unusual to see survivors bearing the LRA's characteristic butcher marks: missing noses, lips, ears, buttocks and hands.

The Guardian

On Fendi's AW15 catwalk, it was less baker and more butcher as models paraded in leather A-line apron mini skirts with leather apron tops, all toy buttons and bizarre furry boots: a decidedly weightier and wipe-down version.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

In 1914 the poet Carl Sandburg called Chicago "hog butcher for the world, tool maker, stacker of wheat," when the city's stockyards and factories were the economic engine – and human cesspool – of the entire midwest.

The Guardian

What a beauty he was, with pink waistcoat, highwayman's mask, chestnut wings, dove-grey skull-cap: the butcher bird, the red-backed shrike, guarding his larder.

The Guardian

Now, there are two posh cheese shops, a new butcher (and one of the old ones has been revamped) and three new fishmongers.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Wills migrated to Adelaide, then moved to gold rush Victoria in the 1850s, where he worked as a butcher, before moving to Queensland in the 1860s.

The Guardian

Her father, a butcher, and her mother, a housewife, shared the same house, in Blackpool, but communicated via notes, such as: "The coalman is coming today, can you leave me some money?" It was stifling, she says, "an only child living with two grown-ups who didn't get on.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The butcher, another woman the size of the Popocatapetl volcano, held up a string of sausages.

The Guardian - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "butcher" as a verb to describe ruining something, ensure the context is appropriate, as it can be seen as harsh or overly critical. For example, "The band butchered the song".

Common error

Avoid using "butcher" in professional settings to describe mistakes or failures. Opt for more neutral terms like "mishandle" or "spoil" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The word "butcher" functions primarily as a noun, denoting a person who prepares and sells meat. It also functions as a verb, signifying the act of slaughtering animals or, figuratively, ruining something. Ludwig AI confirms this dual nature. The examples provided by Ludwig show both usages.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Lifestyle

25%

Business

15%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "butcher" is a versatile term primarily functioning as a noun referring to a meat vendor or as a verb indicating slaughtering or ruining. As Ludwig AI points out, its usage is grammatically correct. Its frequency is "very common", as seen in various contexts, especially in news and lifestyle publications. While generally neutral, the figurative usage can be considered harsh. Remember to use discretion when employing it to describe ruining something, and avoid it in formal settings where a more neutral term would be appropriate. As confirmed by Ludwig's examples, "butcher" holds a significant place in both literal and figurative English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

meat cutter

Replaces "butcher" with a more descriptive term for someone who cuts meat.

meat vendor

Replaces "butcher" with a term emphasizing the selling aspect of the profession.

slaughterhouse worker

Specifies the location where the butchering takes place.

mass murderer

Replaces "butcher" when used in the context of a brutal killer.

massacre

Replaces "butcher" as a verb denoting a large-scale killing.

ruin completely

Replaces "butcher" as a verb meaning to spoil or destroy something utterly.

make a mess of

Informal way of saying someone "butchered" something, meaning they did a poor job.

botch up

Similar to "make a mess of", this implies a bungled attempt.

destroy utterly

Emphasizes the complete destruction implied when something is "butchered".

perform poorly

A more general term to replace "butcher" when referring to a bad performance.

FAQs

How can I use "butcher" in a sentence?

You can use "butcher" as a noun, referring to a person who prepares and sells meat, like "The butcher recommended a good cut of steak." As a verb, it can mean to slaughter animals or to ruin something, such as "He butchered the presentation."

What are some alternatives to "butcher" when describing someone who ruins something?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "mishandle", "spoil", "botch", or "ruin".

What's the difference between "butcher" and "slaughter"?

"Slaughter" refers specifically to the killing of animals for food. "Butcher" can refer to the preparation of that meat, or, figuratively, to ruin something. Therefore, "slaughter" is more specific to the act of killing.

Is it appropriate to call someone a "butcher" in a derogatory way?

While "butcher" can refer to someone who brutally kills, using it in this way is highly offensive. It is best to avoid this usage unless you are directly quoting someone or reporting on a specific historical event. Consider using "mass murderer" or other similar terms.