butcher
A butcher is a person who slaughters animals, dresses their flesh, or sells their meat for food. In a modern context, it specifically refers to someone who owns or works in a shop selling various cuts of meat to the public.
Examples
3 of 5I asked the butcher to give me two pounds of ground beef for the burgers.
I asked the meat professional to provide me with two pounds of minced beef for the burgers.
The regulations require every certified butcher to maintain rigorous hygiene standards in their facility.
The laws require every professional meat handler to keep high cleanliness standards in their building.
Our local butcher always gives my dog a small bone for free.
The neighborhood meat seller always gives my dog a small bone at no cost.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
Visualize a 'Butcher' using a 'B'ig knife to 'Cut' meat—the 'u' sound in Butcher is the same as in 'put'.
Quick Quiz
If you want a high-quality ribeye steak, you should ask the _____ for a fresh cut.
Correct!
The correct answer is: butcher
Examples
I asked the butcher to give me two pounds of ground beef for the burgers.
everydayI asked the meat professional to provide me with two pounds of minced beef for the burgers.
The regulations require every certified butcher to maintain rigorous hygiene standards in their facility.
formalThe laws require every professional meat handler to keep high cleanliness standards in their building.
Our local butcher always gives my dog a small bone for free.
informalThe neighborhood meat seller always gives my dog a small bone at no cost.
The historical transition from the independent butcher to centralized meatpacking plants altered urban food distribution.
academicThe past change from individual meat sellers to large factories changed how food was moved in cities.
We are looking to hire an experienced butcher to manage the gourmet meat section of our supermarket.
businessWe are seeking a skilled meat specialist to run the high-quality meat area of our store.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker
a phrase referring to a variety of traditional tradespeople
butcher's hook
Cockney rhyming slang for taking a 'look'
fit as a butcher's dog
to be very healthy and strong
Often Confused With
A butcher is the person who does the work, while butchery is the trade, the skill, or the shop itself.
Usage Notes
When referring to the place of business, it is common to say 'the butcher's' (short for the butcher's shop). The word can also be used as a verb to mean 'to ruin something' through incompetence.
Common Mistakes
Learners often forget to add 's' when talking about the shop, saying 'I'm going to the butcher' instead of 'I'm going to the butcher's'.
Memory Tip
Visualize a 'Butcher' using a 'B'ig knife to 'Cut' meat—the 'u' sound in Butcher is the same as in 'put'.
Word Origin
Derived from the Old French word 'bouchier', which originally meant a person who slaughters he-goats ('bouc').
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In British and European culture, the local butcher remains a symbol of traditional high-street commerce and personalized service compared to supermarkets.
Quick Quiz
If you want a high-quality ribeye steak, you should ask the _____ for a fresh cut.
Correct!
The correct answer is: butcher
Related Words
to
A1Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.
and
A1A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.
a
A1A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.
that
A1This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.
I
A1The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.
for
A1Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.
not
A1A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.
with
A1A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.
he
A1A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.
you
A1Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
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