battue Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a hunt in which beaters force the game to flee in the direction of the hunter
  2. noun indiscriminate slaughter
    bloodbath; bloodletting; bloodshed.
    • a bloodbath took place when the leaders of the plot surrendered
    • ten days after the bloodletting Hitler gave the action its name
    • the valley is no stranger to bloodshed and murder
    • a huge prison battue was ordered

WordNet

Bat"tue` noun
Etymology
F. battue, fr. battre to beat. See Batter, v. t., and cf. Battuta.
Definitions
  1. (Hunting) (a) The act of beating the woods, bushes, etc., for game. (b) The game itself. (c) The wanton slaughter of game. Howitt.

Webster 1913