slaught
English
Etymology
From Middle English slaught, slagt, slaȝt, from Old English slæht, sleaht, sleht, slieht (“a stroke, a striking, a flash of lightning, slaughter, murder, death by violence, the deadly stroke of disease, battle, what is to be killed, animals for slaughter”), from Proto-Germanic *slahtō, *slahtiz (“beating, hitting, killing, murder”), from Proto-Indo-European *slek- (“to beat, pound”). Cognate with Dutch slacht (“slaughter”), German Schlacht (“killing, battle”), Swedish slakt (“slaughter”), Icelandic slátta (“slaughter”). Related to English slay.
Noun
slaught (plural slaughts)
- Killing; slaughter.
Derived terms
- manslaught (whence manslaughter)
- onslaught