Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BUTCH'ER, n. [Fr. boucher; Arm. boçzer, a butcher; Fr. boucherie; It. beccheria, butchery, shambles. The primary sense probably is to stick or stab, as the Fr. boucher signifies to stop, that is, to set, to thrust.]

1. One who slaughters animals for market; or one whose occupation is to kill animals for the table. The word may and often does include the person who cuts up and sells meat.
2. One who kills men, or commands troops to kill them; one who sheds, or causes to be shed human blood in abundance; applied to princes and conquerors who delight in war, or are remarkable for destroying human life. – Locke.