hecatomb

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.

[Latin hecatombē, from Greek hekatombē : hekaton, hundred + -bē, oxen.]

(HEK-uh-toom, -tom)

noun
A large-scale slaughter.

Etymology
Originally a hecatomb was a public sacrifice and feast of 100 oxen or cattle to the gods in ancient Greece and Rome. The word is derived from Latin hekatombe, from Greek hekatombe, from hekaton (hundred) + bous (ox). Another word derived from bous (ox) is boustrophedon boustrophedon. ]

Usage
"The use of high-tech weapons will result in hecatombs, smart as the US bombs may be." — Lost Values; Kathimerini (Athens, Greece); Mar 17, 2003.

---

noun

One or more living creatures slain and offered to a deity as part of a religious rite: immolation, offering, sacrifice, victim. See religion.

hecatomb in Greece, originally the sacrifice of a hundred oxen (hekaton bous); the term came to be used even in Homer of any great sacrifice of animals. Hekatombaion was the name of a month at Athens, ‘the time when hecatombs are offered’.

[fr. L. hecatombe < Gk hekatombe]  /HEK uh tome/ (or -tum)
1) an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice consisting typically of 100 oxen or cattle  transf. and fig.: 2) the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims 3) a large number or quantity

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - hekatombe

Nederlands (Dutch)
hecatombe (offeringen in grote getale)

Français (French)
n. - hécatombe

Deutsch (German)
n. - großes öffentliches Opfer (im alten Rom oder Griechenland), Großzahl von Opfern

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ., μτφ.) εκατόμβη

Italiano (Italian)
ecatombe

Português (Portuguese)
n. - hecatombe (f)

Русский (Russian)
гекатомба, массовое убийство людей, несметное число

Español (Spanish)
n. - hecatombe

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hekatomb

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大杀戮, 大献祭, 大屠杀

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大殺戮, 大獻祭, 大屠殺

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 황소 백 마리의 제물, 대학살

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 多数の犠牲

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ذبيحه مئه ثور عند قدماء اليونان والرومان, مجزرة‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮טקס זביחת 001 פרים ביוון וברומא העתיקות, טבח‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.