hecatomb Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a great sacrifice; an ancient Greek or Roman sacrifice of 100 oxen

WordNet

Hec"a*tomb noun
Etymology
L. hecatombe, Gr. hundred + ox: cf. F. hécatombe.
Definitions
  1. (Antiq.) A sacrifice of a hundred oxen or cattle at the same time; hence, the sacrifice or slaughter of any large number of victims.
    Slaughtered hecatombs around them bleed. Addison.
    More than a human hecatomb. Byron.

Webster 1913