hecatomb

hec·a·tomb  (hk-tm)

n.

1. A large-scale sacrifice or slaughter.

2. A sacrifice to the ancient Greek and Roman gods consisting originally of 100 oxen or cattle.

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[Latin hecatomb, from Greek hekatomb : hekaton, hundred; see dek in Indo-European roots + -b, oxen; see g^wou- in Indo-European roots.]

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hecatomb [ˈhɛkəˌtəʊm -ˌtuːm]

n

1. (Historical Terms) (in ancient Greece or Rome) any great public sacrifice and feast, originally one in which 100 oxen were sacrificed

2. a great sacrifice

[from Latin hecatombē, from Greek hekatombē, from hekaton hundred + bous ox]

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hecatomb

1. a sacrifice of one hundred oxen at one time, as in ancient Greece.
2. any slaughter on a large scale; a massacre.

See also: Killing

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

hecatomb - a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen ritual killing, sacrifice - the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity