Carnage


the slaughter of a great number of people, as in battle; butchery; massacre.
Archaic. dead bodies, as of those slain in battle.
Contemporary Examples

The stock dropped 15 percent in after-hours trading Tuesday and the carnage continued Wednesday morning.
Whole Foods Is Getting Its Organic Lunch Eaten Daniel Gross May 8, 2014

Had Abdaly succeeded in getting his bomb into the mall, there would have been carnage.
Bin Laden Message to France: Full Court Press on Afghanistan Bruce Riedel January 20, 2011

But they apparently rejected the idea that Rana remained a dupe once the carnage in India had happened.
Chicago Trial’s Explosive Revelations ProPublica June 9, 2011

I cannot stress the Fallujah-circa-2004 levels of carnage that happen during Bella’s birth of the vampire baby.
The Future of Twilight Natasha Vargas-Cooper June 30, 2010

You delay now, and you will have to do more when the carnage spreads to Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq.
Up to Speed: 3 Things to Know About New York’s ‘Hell Week’ Christopher Dickey September 22, 2013

Historical Examples

After those disgraceful scenes of carnage peace was no longer possible.
Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican Vol. 1 of 2 Brantz Mayer

The raven, wolf, and eagle are the regular epic accompaniments of battle and carnage.
Beowulf Unknown

Then ensued a scene of riot and carnage such as no human pen, or steel one either, could describe.
Sketches New and Old, Complete Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

The carnage had been terrible, and the fields were strewn with the dead and dying.
Three Years in the Federal Cavalry Willard Glazier

Great was the carnage and blood flowed in streams on the fighting ships.
Historical Tales, Vol. 9 (of 15) Charles Morris

noun
extensive slaughter, esp of human beings in battle
n.

c.1600, from Middle French carnage (16c.), from Old Italian carnaggio “slaughter, murder,” from Medieval Latin carnaticum “flesh,” from Latin carnaticum “slaughter of animals,” from carnem (nominative caro) “flesh,” originally “a piece of flesh,” from PIE root *(s)ker- (1) “to cut” (see shear (v.)). In English always used more of slaughters of men than beasts. Southey (1795) tried to make a verb of it.

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