hecatomb
A great public sacrifice to the gods, originally of a hundred oxenA great public sacrifice to the gods, originally of a hundred oxen; also, a great number of animals reserved for such a sacrifice.
Meaning
3 senses(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.
Hekatombe
гекато́мбаgekatómba
гекато́мбаhekatómba
a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen
(broadly, historical)A great public sacrifice in other religions; also, a great number of animals or people reserved for such a sacrifice.
(figuratively, literary, poetic)A great number of animals, people, or things that are sacrificed or destroyed; any great sacrifice; also (generally), a large amount.
Translations
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Origin
The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin hecatombē (“great sacrifice of a hundred oxen,The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin hecatombē (“great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb”), from Ancient Greek ἑκατόμβη (hekatómbē, “great sacrifice of a hundred oxen, hecatomb; any animal sacrifice or large sacrifice”, from ἑκᾰτόν (hekătón, “hundred”) + βοῦς (boûs, “cattle, cow, ox”)).
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