| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| hecatomb |
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| SYLLABICATION: | hec·a·tomb |
| PRONUNCIATION: | h k -t m |
| NOUN: | 1. A large-scale sacrifice or slaughter. 2. A sacrifice to the ancient Greek and Roman gods consisting originally of 100 oxen or cattle. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin hecatomb , from Greek hekatomb : hekaton, hundred; see dek in Appendix I + -b , oxen; see gwou- in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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