butcher A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...

is a person who slaughters animals, dresses their flesh and sells their meat. Butcher, The Butcher, Butchers, or Butcher's may also refer to:

People

Butcher (surname) Butcher is a common family name in England but it may have French origins. It was originally an occupational surname used to identify a person who worked as a butcher. The name derived from the Old English word ''boucher'' or the Old French word ''b ...

, a common surname

Epithet

In real life

* Butcher of Amritsar:

Reginald Dyer Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, CB (9 October 1864 – 23 July 1927) was an officer of the Bengal Army and later the newly constituted British Indian Army. His military career began serving briefly in the regular British Army before tra ...

(1864–1927), British Indian Army officer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar * Butcher of Baghdad:

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

(1937–2006), President of Iraq until deposed in 2003 * Butcher of the Balkans (disambiguation), several people * Butcher of Balochistan and Butcher of Bengal:

Tikka Khan General Tikka Khan ( ur, ٹکا خان; 10 February 1915 – 28 March 2002) was a Pakistan Army general who was the first chief of army staff from 3 March 1972 until retiring on 1 March 1976. Along with Yahya Khan, he is considered a chief ar ...

(1915–2002), Pakistan Army four-star general and first Chief of Staff * Butcher of Bega: Graeme Stephen Reeves (born 1949), Australian deregistered gynecologist and obstetrician * Butcher of Beijing:

Li Peng Li Peng (; 20 October 1928 – 22 July 2019) was a Chinese politician who served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1987 to 1998, and as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Chi ...

(李鹏; 1928–2019) top level Chinese Communist Party official known for supporting the use of violence against the Tiananmen Square Protests * Butcher of Beirut:

Ariel Sharon Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006. S ...

(1928–2014), Israeli Prime Minister and general * Butcher of Beslan:

Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev ( ce, Салман ВоӀ Шамиль ; russian: Шамиль Салманович Басаев; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his kunya "Abu Idris", was a senior military commander in the Cheche ...

(1965–2006), Chechen militant Islamist and rebel leader * Butcher of Bosnia: **

Ratko Mladić Ratko Mladić ( sr-Cyrl, Ратко Младић, ; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal and colonel-general who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Yugoslav Wars. In 2017, he was found guilty of committing ...

(born 1943), Bosnian Serb former general and Chief of Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska **

Radovan Karadžić Radovan Karadžić ( sr-cyr, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Bosnian Serb politician, psychiatrist and poet. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tr ...

(born 1945), Bosnian Serb former politician and President of Republika Srpska * Butcher of La Cabaña:

Che Guevara Ernesto Che Guevara (; 14 June 1928The date of birth recorded on /upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Ernesto_Guevara_Acta_de_Nacimiento.jpg his birth certificatewas 14 June 1928, although one tertiary source, (Julia Constenla, quoted ...

(1928–1967), Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist * Butcher of Cesena:

Antipope Clement VII Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the cardinals who opposed Pope Urban VI, was the first antipope residing in Avignon, France. His election l ...

(1342-1394) * Butcher of Congo: King

Leopold II of Belgium * german: link=no, Leopold Ludwig Philipp Maria Viktor , house = Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , father = Leopold I of Belgium , mother = Louise of Orléans , birth_date = , birth_place = Brussels, Belgium , death_date = ...

* Butcher of Drogheda:

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

(1599–1658), Commonwealth military and political leader * Butcher of Eastern Visayas:

Jovito Palparan Jovito Salvaña Palparan Jr. (born September 11, 1950) is a retired Army general, former politician, and a convicted criminal. From July 2003 to July 2004, he was the commander of the Philippine Humanitarian Contingent in the Iraq War. He also ...

(born 1950), Filipino fugitive, politician and former army general * Butcher of Genoa: Friedrich Engel (1909–2006) * Butcher of Hanover:

Fritz Haarmann Friedrich Heinrich Karl "Fritz" Haarmann (25 October 1879 – 15 April 1925) was a German serial killer, known as the Butcher of Hanover, the Vampire of Hanover and the Wolf Man, who committed the sexual assault, murder, mutilation and dismemb ...

(1879–1925), German serial killer * Butcher of Kentucky: Stephen G. Burbridge (1831–1894), Union major general during the American Civil War * Butcher of Kurdistan:

Ali Hassan al-Majid Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( ar, علي حسن عبد المجيد التكريت, ʿAlī Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Majīd al-Tikrītī; 30 November 1941 – 25 January 2010), nicknamed Chemical Ali ( ar, علي الكيمياوي, ʿAlī al-Kīm ...

(1941–2010), Iraqi Defense Minister, Interior Minister, military commander and chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, better known as "Chemical Ali" * Butcher of Lyon:

Klaus Barbie Nikolaus "Klaus" Barbie (25 October 1913 – 25 September 1991) was a German operative of the SS and SD who worked in Vichy France during World War II. He became known as the "Butcher of Lyon" for having personally tortured prisoners—primari ...

(1913–1991), World War II SS-''Hauptsturmführer'' and Gestapo member * Butcher of Mirpur:

Abdul Quader Molla Abdul Quader Molla ( bn, আব্দুল কাদের মোল্লা; 14 August 1948 – 12 December 2013) was a Bangladeshi Islamist leader, writer, and politician of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, who was convicted of war crimes and ...

(1948–2013), Bangladeshi Islamist leader and politician * Butcher of Plainfield:

Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, ga ...

(1906–1984), American murderer * Butcher of Prague:

Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( ; ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He was chief of the Reich Security Main Office (inclu ...

(1904–1942), German World War II Nazi official and one of the main architects of the Holocaust * Butcher of Rangoon:

Sein Lwin Sein Lwin ( my, စိန်လွင်, ; 27 January 1924 – 9 April 2004) was a Burmese politician and retired military general in the Myanmar Army. He was served as the sixth president of Burma for 17 days in 1988, following the resignation ...

(1923–2004), Burmese brigadier general and briefly President of Myanmar (Burma) * Butcher of Riga:

Eduard Roschmann Eduard Roschmann (25 November 1908 – 8 August 1977) was an Austrian Nazi SS-''Obersturmführer'' and commandant of the Riga Ghetto during 1943. He was responsible for numerous murders and other atrocities. As a result of a fictionalized port ...

(1908–1977), Austrian SS officer and commandant of the Riga ghetto during 1943 * Butcher of Rostov:

Andrei Chikatilo Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (russian: Андре́й Рома́нович Чикати́ло, translit=Andréy Románovich Chikatílo; uk, Андрій Романович Чикатило, translit=Andriy Romanovych Chykatylo; 16 October 1936 ...

(1936–1994), Soviet serial killer * Butcher of Samar:

Littleton Waller Littleton Tazewell "Tony" Waller (September 26, 1856 – July 13, 1926) was a career officer in the United States Marine Corps, who served in the Spanish–American War, the Caribbean and Asia. He was court martialled and acquitted for acti ...

(1856–1926), US Marine Corps officer * Butcher of the Somme:

Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 unti ...

(1861–1928), British First World War field marshal * Butcher of Uganda:

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...

(c. 1925–2003), President of Uganda and major general * Butcher of Warsaw: **

Josef Albert Meisinger Josef Albert Meisinger (14 September 1899 – 7 March 1947), also known as the "Butcher of Warsaw", was an SS functionary in Nazi Germany. He held a position in the Gestapo and was a member of the Nazi Party. During the early phases of World War ...

(1899–1947), German SS officer **

Heinz Reinefarth Heinz Reinefarth (26 December 1903 – 7 May 1979) was a German SS commander during World War II and government official in West Germany after the war. During the Warsaw Uprising of August 1944 his troops committed numerous atrocities. After t ...

(1903–1979), German SS officer

In fiction

* Butcher of Arlav: Biff Simpson (''

Hunters Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

'') * Butcher of Bakersfield: Benjamin "Ben" Richards ('' The Running Man'') * Butcher of Blaviken:

Geralt of Rivia Geralt of Rivia ( pl, Geralt z Rivii) is a fictional character and the protagonist of ''The Witcher'' series of short stories and novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. He is a magically enhanced monster-hunter known as a "witcher", who posse ...

(''

The Witcher ''The Witcher'' ( pl, Wiedźmin ) is a series of six fantasy novels and 15 short stories written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series revolves around the eponymous "witcher", Geralt of Rivia. In Sapkowski's works, "witchers" are bea ...

'') * Butcher of Bogon:

Ratchet Ratchet may refer to: Devices * Ratchet (device), a mechanical device that allows movement in only one direction * Ratchet, metonomic name for a socket wrench incorporating a ratcheting device * Ratchet (instrument), a music instrument and a ...

(''

Ratchet & Clank ''Ratchet & Clank'' is a series of action platformer and third-person shooter video games. The franchise was created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation 2 ...

'') * Butcher of Skull Moon: The Doctor (''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'') * Butcher of Stilwater: The Protagonist/The Boss/"Playa" (''

Saints Row ''Saints Row'' is a series of action-adventure video games created by Volition and published by THQ and Deep Silver. The series follows the 3rd Street Saints, a fictional street gang originally operating out of the Saints Row district, hence ...

'') * Butcher of Torfan:

Commander Shepard Lieutenant Commander Shepard, better known as Commander Shepard, is the player character in the ''Mass Effect'' video game series by BioWare (''Mass Effect'', ''Mass Effect 2'', and ''Mass Effect 3''). A veteran soldier of the Systems Alliance ...

(''

Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...

'') * Butcher of White Orchard:

(''

'')

Nickname

* Imre Arakas, Estonian criminal known as "The Butcher" *

Prince William, Duke of Cumberland Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (15 April 1721 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S..html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki> N.S.">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html"_;"title="/nowiki>Old_Style_and_New_St ...

(1721–1765), son of King George II of Great Britain and general known to his political enemies as "Butcher" Cumberland *

John Ronald Brown John Ronald Brown (July 14, 1922 – May 16, 2010) was an American surgeon who was convicted of second-degree murder after the death of a 79-year-old patient in his care. Early life The son of a physician, Dr. Brown was born in 1922. He did ...

(1922–2010), American surgeon convicted of second-degree murder after operating without a license *

Edward Cummiskey Edward "Eddie The Butcher" Cummiskey Jr. (1934 Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan to August 20, 1976 Chelsea, Manhattan) was a New York mobster who served as a mentor to Jimmy Coonan, leader of the Westies. Cummiskey is reputed to have shown Coonan how t ...

(died 1976), New York City mobster known as "The Butcher" *

Robert Hansen Robert Christian Hansen (February 15, 1939 – August 21, 2014), known in the media as the Butcher Baker, was an American serial killer. Between 1971 and 1983, Hansen abducted, raped, and murdered at least seventeen women in and around Anchora ...

(died 2014), an American serial killer, nicknamed the Butcher Baker *

Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet, (13 April 1892 – 5 April 1984), commonly known as "Bomber" Harris by the press and often within the RAF as "Butch" Harris, was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C ...

(1892–1984), Marshal of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War *

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

, "''adulescentulus carnifex''" (Latin for "The Teenage Butcher"), also known in English as "Pompey the Great" *

Andrew Mrotek The Academy Is... is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before disbanding, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in ...

(born 1983), "the Butcher", American drummer for the band The Academy Is... *

William Poole William Poole (July 24, 1821 – March 8, 1855), also known as Bill the Butcher, was the leader of the Washington Street Gang, which later became known as the Bowery Boys gang. He was a local leader of the Know Nothing political movement ...

(1821–1855), leader of the New York City gang the Bowery Boys, bare-knuckle boxer, and a leader of the Know Nothing political movement, known as "Bill the Butcher" * Valeriano Weyler, 1st Duke of Rubí (1838–1930), Spanish general and Governor General of the Philippines and Cuba * Andoni Goikoetxea (born 1956), Spanish footballer, "The Butcher of Bilbao" *

Lisandro Martínez Lisandro Martínez (born 18 January 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Argentina national team. Martínez began his career at Newell's Old Boys b ...

(born 1998), Argentinian footballer, "The Butcher" or "Butcher of Amsterdam" when playing for Ajax Amsterdam

Aliases

* The Butcher (

Brutus Beefcake Edward Harrison Leslie (born April 21, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship ...

, born 1957), ring name of professional wrestler Edward Leslie *

Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling matc ...

(born 1941), ring name of professional wrestler Larry Shreve * "Butcher", a ring name of former professional wrestler

Paul Vachon Paul Vachon (born October 7, 1937) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is a member of the Vachon wrestling family. He is perhaps best known by his ring name Butcher Vachon. Professional wrestling career Paul Vachon grew up as one of t ...

(born 1938) * The Butcher, ring name of professional wrestler

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

(born 1977) *

The Butcher Brothers The Butcher Brothers are the filmmaking alter-egos of American film directors Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores. Biography Phil Flores Flores's first film was ''Long Cut'' (2002); he then joined with Mitchell Altieri to produce ''Lurking in ...

, alter-egos of American film directors Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores

Arts and entertainment

Fictional characters

* Billy "The Butcher" Butcher, from the comic series ''The Boys'', its spin-off ''Butcher'', and TV series adaptations * The Butcher (''American Horror Story''), from the TV series ''American Horror Story: Roanoke'' * The Butcher, a demon in the '' Diablo'' video game series and ''

Heroes of the Storm ''Heroes of the Storm'' is a crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on June 2, 2015. The game features various characters from Bli ...

'' * The Butcher, a monster in the video game '' Silent Hill: Origins'' * The Butcher, a physical embodiment of "rage" of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, the emotion that powers the

Red Lantern Corps The Red Lantern Corps is a supervillain and sometimes anti-heroic organization appearing in DC Comics. Their power is derived from the emotional spectrum relating to rage. Publication history They debuted in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #25 (Dec ...

in the DC Comics universe * On the British soap opera ''Eastenders'': **

Bianca Butcher Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted ...

Diane Butcher Diane Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 199 ...

Frank Butcher Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintr ...

Liam Butcher Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sonny Bottomley for two months in 1998 and 1999, twins Jack and Tom Godolphin from 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to ...

Mo Butcher Mo Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Edna Doré between 1988 and 1990. She is introduced as the matriarch figure of the Butcher family, Frank Butcher's ( Mike Reid) elderly mother. She is portraye ...

Ricky Butcher Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...

Film and television

* ''

Le Boucher ''Le Boucher'' ( en, The Butcher) is a 1970 French psychological thriller film written and directed by Claude Chabrol. Set in the village of Trémolat on the river Dordogne, it tells the story of a deeply troubled butcher (Jean Yanne) who falls ...

'' (''The Butcher''), a 1970 French drama/thriller * ''The Butcher'' (2006 film), an American horror film * ''The Butcher'' (2007 film), an South Korean horror film * ''The Butcher'' (2009 film), an American action film * ''The Butchers'' (film), a 2014 American horror film *

Butcher's Film Service Butcher's Film Service was a British film production and distribution company that specialised in low-budget productions. The company was founded by William Butcher, a chemist from Blackheath. The company survived through several production slu ...

, a British film production and distribution company * ''The Butcher'' (TV series), a 2019 butchering reality competition show * ''Butchers (2020 film)'' 0 a 2020 American horror film * "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" (''The Boys''), 2020 television adaptation of the comic miniseries

Music

* "The Butcher" (song), a 2011 song by Radiohead *

Butcher Bros. The Butcher Bros. is an American music production team made up of brothers Phil and Joe Nicolo, originally based out of Philadelphia in the mid-to-late '80s. Together and individually, the brothers have produced albums for a wide variety of ban ...

, American record producers

Places

* Butcher Hills, Montana * Butcher (or Butcher's) Inlet, on which

Cossack, Western Australia Cossack, formerly known as Tien Tsin, is an historic ghost town located north of Perth and from Roebourne in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The nearest town to Cossack, which is located on Butcher Inlet (aka Butcher's Inlet) at the ...

is situated *

Butcher Island Butcher Island (Jawahar Dweep) is an island off the coast of Mumbai, India. It has an oil terminal used by the port authorities to offload it from oil tankers. The crude oil is stored in oil containers on the island. From there they are piped ...

, off the coast of Mumbai, India *

Butcher Nunatak Butcher Nunatak () is a nunatak at the south end of the Birchall Peaks, southwest of Swarm Peak, in the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and from U.S. Navy air photos (1959–65), a ...

, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica *

Butcher Ridge Butcher Ridge () is a large, mainly ice-free ridge near the polar plateau in the west part of the Cook Mountains. The ridge is in the form of an arc, extending northwest from Mount Ayres.Faure, G., and Mensing, T. M., 2010. ''The Transantarctic Mo ...

, Oates Land, Antarctica * Butchers Knob, part of Cooper Mountain * Butchers Lake, Victoria, Australia * Butchers Spur, Ross Dependency, Antarctica * Butcher Hollow, Kentucky

Other uses

* ''Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker'', spin-off comic miniseries of ''The Boys'', following Billy Butcher * Butcher, a small

beer glass Beer glassware comprise vessels made of glass, designed or commonly used for serving and drinking beer. Styles of glassware vary in accord with national or regional traditions; legal or customary requirements regarding serving measures and fil ...

in South Australia *

4th Armored Division (United States) The 4th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army that earned distinction while spearheading General Patton's Third Army in the European theater of World War II. The 4th Armored Division, unlike most other U.S. armo ...

, nicknamed "Roosevelt's Butchers" *

Butcher baronets There have been two baronetcies created for persons with the surname Butcher, both in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Both are extinct. * The Butcher Baronetcy, of Danesfort in the County of Kerry, was created in the Baronetage of the Unit ...

, two titles in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom, both extinct *

Shankill Butchers The Shankill Butchers were an Ulster loyalist gang—many of whom were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)—that was active between 1975 and 1982 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was based in the Shankill area and was responsible for t ...

, an Ulster loyalist gang active between 1975 and 1982 in Belfast, Northern Ireland {{disambiguation, geo Lists of people by nickname