Timely Word of the Day

I was reading late last night and came across the word "abattoir." From the context I knew it had to mean some kind of slaughterhouse but I wasn't sure. Lo and behold, when I checked my email this morning, my word of the day, sent to me at the very same hour last night, was "abattoir."

Abattoir (noun)

Pronunciation: ['æ-bê-twah(r)]

Definition: Slaughterhouse.

Usage: This word is used almost exclusively for its literal meaning: "Fred lost his job at the abattoir after attempting to defend the life of a doomed sheep."

Suggested Usage: However, the word is ready and able for metaphorical duty where a more sophisticated term for "slaughterhouse" is called for: "I felt like a heifer in an abattoir during the lay-offs." Here is one for news reporters: "The expressway became an automotive abattoir yesterday when 23 cars piled up in the fog."

Etymology: French abattre "to cut or shoot down" based on a- "to, from" + battre "to beat." The prefix derives from Latin ad- "(up) to" and is akin to English "at". The French stem is related to English "beat," "bat," "batter," and Russian bit' "beat."

I just love words.