MASSACRE  , 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 µhxeoOat, to fight, µaXalpa, 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 .