Quote:
Originally Posted by irmamar
Are these verbs synonyms? I meant, both of them mean "kill with violence", more or less. 
Perdón, estoy muy pesada hoy... |
My guess is that they are more or less synonyms (they are etymologically related), but I have very rarely heard 'slay' in BrE. In fact, the only time I've seen it is in American newspapers.
Slaughter can mean
to kill violently (cf. German Schlacht -
a battle) but can also mean
to kill an animal for food (so possibly humanely. This is usually done in a slaughterhouse) (cf. German Schlachtplatter - a disgusting dish of meats from a newly slaughtered animal)