hecatomb

Meaning

Noun

1. (Ancient-Rome, historical) A great public sacrifice to the gods, originally of a hundred oxen; also, a great number of animals reserved for such a sacrifice.
2. (broadly, historical) A great public sacrifice in other religions; also, a great number of animals or people reserved for such a sacrifice.
3. (figuratively, literary, poetic) A great number of animals, people, or things that are sacrificed or destroyed; any great sacrifice; also (generally), a large amount.

Verb

To provide (someone or something) with a hecatomb.

Synonyms

accident

buskin

calamity

catastrophe

disaster

immolation

misery

misfortune

natural disaster

tragedy

Translations

ecatombe

hécatombe

hecatombe

hecatombe

εκατόμβη

Hekatombe

فاجعة

بلأ

مأساة

calamitat

tragèdia

Kalamität

Kataklysmus

مصيبة

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɛkətuːm/

Etymology

The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin hecatombē (“great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb”), from Ancient Greek ἑκατόμβη (hekatómbē, “great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb; any animal sacrifice or large sacrifice”, from ἑκᾰτόν (hekătón, “hundred”) + βοῦς (boûs, “cattle, cow, ox”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.