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slaughter

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like lambs to the slaughter

 and like a lamb to the slaughter

Fig. quietly and without seeming to realize the likely difficulties or dangers of a situation. Young men fighting in World War I simply went like lambs to the slaughter. Our team went on the football field like lambs to the slaughter to meet the league-leaders.

See also: lamb, like, slaughter

like pigs to the slaughter

Rur. obediently and in large numbers. (See also like lambs to the slaughter.) Look at all the people lining up to mail their tax forms on time, like pigs to the slaughter.

See also: like, pig, slaughter

like a lamb to the slaughter

something that you say about someone who does something or goes somewhere calmly and happily, not knowing that something unpleasant is going to happen to them

Usage notes: This phrase comes from the Bible. The slaughter is the time when animals are killed for their meat.

Here comes the bride, like a lamb to the slaughter.

See also: lamb, like, slaughter

like a lamb to the slaughter

Also, as lambs to the slaughter. Innocently and helplessly, without realizing the danger. For example, She agreed to appeal to the board, little knowing she would go like a lamb to the slaughter . This expression appears in several biblical books (Isaiah, Jeremiah), and the simile itself was used by Chaucer.

See also: lamb, like, slaughter

murder

and slaughter

tv. to overwhelm; to beat someone in a sports contest. We went out on the field prepared to slaughter them. The murdered us in the second half.

slaughter

verb

See murder

slaughtered

mod. drunk. Garth went out and got himself slaughtered again last night.

See also: slaughter