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- Dictionaryhecatomb/ˈhɛkətuːm/
noun
- 1. (in ancient Greece or Rome) a great public sacrifice, originally of a hundred oxen: "After Pythagoras discovered his fundamental theorem he sacrificed a hecatomb of oxen"
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In ancient Greece, a hecatomb (UK: / ˈ h ɛ k ə t uː m /; US: / ˈ h ɛ k ə t oʊ m /; Ancient Greek: ἑκατόμβη hekatómbē) was a sacrifice of 100 cattle (hekaton "one hundred", bous "bull") to the Greek gods.
1. : an ancient Greek and Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen or cattle. 2. : the sacrifice or slaughter of many victims. Examples of hecatomb in a Sentence.
Hecatomb definition: (in ancient Greece and Rome) a public sacrifice of 100 oxen to the gods.. See examples of HECATOMB used in a sentence.
Jun 7, 2024 · hecatomb (plural hecatombs) ( Ancient Greece, 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.
hecatomb in British English. (ˈhɛkəˌtəʊm , -ˌtuːm ) noun. 1. (in ancient Greece or Rome) any great public sacrifice and feast, originally one in which 100 oxen were sacrificed. 2. a great sacrifice. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
n. 1. A large-scale sacrifice or slaughter. 2. A sacrifice to the ancient Greek or Roman gods consisting originally of 100 oxen or cattle. [Latin hecatombē, from Greek hekatombē : hekaton, hundred; see dekm̥ in Indo-European roots + -bē, oxen; see g w ou- in Indo-European roots .]
In ancient Greece or Rome, a great public sacrifice, originally of a hundred oxen; figuratively, an extensive loss of life for some cause. The word comes (in the late 16th century, via Latin) from Greek hekatombē (from hekaton ‘hundred’ + bous ‘ox’).
Definitions of hecatomb. noun. a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen. see moresee less. type of: ritual killing, sacrifice. the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity. Cite this entry.
Hecatomb Definition. Any large-scale sacrifice or slaughter. In ancient Greece, any great sacrifice to the gods; specif., the slaughter of one hundred cattle at one time.
Cambridge Dictionary
