Chapter Bushet to Butcher of B by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called the lesser butcher bird. The American species are L.borealis, or northern butcher bird, and L. Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike. The name butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it.

Butcher's meat, such flesh of animals slaughtered for food as is sold for that purpose by butchers, as beef, mutton, lamb, and pork.

Butcher
(Butch"er), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Butchered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Butchering.]

1. To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs.

2. To murder, or kill, especially in an unusually bloody or barbarous manner. Macaulay.

[Ithocles] was murdered, rather butchered.
Ford.