butcher
UK[ˈbʊtʃə]US[ˈbʊtʃər]
n
A person whose job is to cut up and sell meat in a shop.
n
A person who kills people in a violent and cruel way.
v
To kill people in a violent and cruel way.
v
To kill an animal and prepare it for sale as meat.
v
To ruin something by doing it very badly.
Etymology
The word 'butcher' entered English in the early 14th century from the Anglo-Norman French 'bochier', which referred specifically to a slaughterer of goats. This Old French term derived from 'boc', meaning "he-goat", a word of Germanic origin related to the English word "buck". The semantic journey is direct: from a dealer in goat meat, the term broadened to encompass a dealer in all kinds of meat. The modern, more abstract meanings related to brutal killing and botched execution are metaphorical extensions that arose from the word's core association with the bloody trade of animal slaughter.
Analysis
The word 'butcher' is a loanword from Anglo-Norman French, derived from Old French 'bochier' or 'bouchier', meaning "one who slaughters and sells he-goats". Its ultimate origin is the Old French word 'boc', meaning "male goat".
Examples
I need to stop by the butcher to get a chicken for dinner.
The dictator was condemned as a brutal butcher of his own people.
I'm afraid I'll butcher the solo if I have to play it in front of an audience.