mattatoio

slaughterhouse

noun maht-tah-TOY-oh Rare

Origin: from mattare (to slaughter), related to Latin mactare

Usage Note

Mattatoio is the standard Italian word for a slaughterhouse or abattoir. It is also used figuratively for a place of mass killing: quella battaglia fu un mattatoio. The plural is regular: mattatoi.

Examples

"Il mattatoio è fuori dal centro."

Natural Translation

The slaughterhouse is outside the centre.

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