Abattoirs

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæb.əˌtwɑː(ɹ)s/

Definitions

1. Facilities where livestock are humanely killed and processed for meat consumption
2. Buildings or complexes designed for the controlled slaughter and butchering of animals
3. Establishments dedicated to the systematic killing of animals to prepare meat products

Etymology: "Abattoirs" is the plural of "abattoir", a slaughterhouse. The singular was borrowed from French, where "abattoir" was formed from "abattre", meaning "to knock down" or "to slaughter", and the suffix "-oir", which marks a place or tool where an action happens. So the French word named the place where animals were struck down, much as "lavatory" names a place for washing. The French verb "abattre" is a close relative of English "abate", which shares the same Latin ancestor, "battuere", meaning "to beat". English "abate" came to mean "to lessen" through a path of meaning that moved away from physical blows, while the French verb kept its sense of striking down. That is why the two words look alike but have diverged so far in use.

Synonyms: slaughterhouses, killing floors