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abattoir

slaughterhouse

noun ah-bah-TWAR Rare

Origin: French 'abattre' (to strike down, to slaughter)

Also means

abattoir

Usage Note

Abattoir is the standard French term for a slaughterhouse, and has been adopted directly into English as a more clinical synonym. The word derives from abattre (to fell, to slaughter). In figurative use, un abattoir describes any scene of mass killing or brutal carnage. Conditions in abattoirs are a recurring subject of animal welfare debates in France.

Examples

"Le camion transporte les animaux à l'abattoir."

Natural Translation

The truck transports the animals to the slaughterhouse.

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