1. a great public sacrifice, originally of 100 oxen or cattle
Usage: historical; ancient Greek/Roman
2. a large-scale sacrifice or slaughter
Usage: literary

Examples

• The ancient Greeks offered a hecatomb to appease the gods before battle.
• The king ordered a hecatomb of one hundred bulls for the festival.
• The war resulted in a hecatomb of young soldiers.
• Homer describes elaborate hecatombs in the Iliad.
• The plague created a hecatomb among the city’s population.
• Ancient rulers used hecatombs to demonstrate their wealth and piety.