▪ I. † slaught, n. Obs.
Forms: 3 slaht, 3–4 slaȝt (4 slaȝte, slaȝþe, sclaȝt), 4–5 slaght (5 -te, slagh); 4 slawȝt, slawhte, 5 slawþe, 6 slawght; 4 slauht, 5 slauȝt, 4–5 slauȝte (4 -tte), 4–7 slaughte.
[Early ME. slaht, slaȝt, app. repr. OE. *sleaht (cf. gen. pl. wælsleahta), var. of slæht, sleht, sliht, etc.: see sleight n.2 The unmutated vowel corresponds to that of OFris. slachte (Fris. slacht), MDu. and Du. slacht, OS. -slahta, OHG. slaht (G. schlacht) and slahta (MHG. slahte), ON. and Icel. sláttr masc. and slátta fem.]
1. Slaying; slaughter.
| c 1205 Lay. 4263 Alken farinde mon, Ȝef slaht oþer hæfde þeofðe idon [etc.]. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 198 Þe keiser stod bimong þat sunful slaht. 13.. E.E. Allit P. A. 801 As a schep to þe slaȝt þer lad was he. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 362 Be wel avised..Of slawhte er that thou be coupable. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 142 Yf the slaght be vnryghtfull, god shal answere, ‘Who-So sleyth, he shal be slayne’. 1469 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 307 All suche slaghts and kyllyng done in defennce. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia (1622) 298 Where shee had made a scaffold,..and there caused them to be kept, as ready for the slaughte. 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God ii. xi, Bad [spirits] are delighted with slaughtes and tragicall invocations. |
2. fig. A stroke (of sorrow), spell (of sleep). rare.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 59, I slode vpon a slepyng slaȝte. Ibid. C. 192 [They] Arayned hym..what raysoun he hade In such slaȝtes of sorȝe to slepe so faste. |
3. A flash (of lightning). Cf. fire-slaught.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17372 His cher lik was slaght o fire. Ibid. 22680 All þe stanes..Sal smitt togedir wit sli maght Als thoner dos wit firen slaght. |
▪ II. † slaught, v. Obs. rare.
[f. prec., or ad. Du. (and LG.) slachten or G. schlachten.]
trans. To kill, slaughter. Hence † ˈslaughting vbl. n.
| 1535 Coverdale Prov. ix. 2 Wysdome..hath slaughted,..and prepared hir table. ― Jer. xii. 3 Take them awaye,..and apoynte them for the daye off slaughtinge. 1647 Hexham i. s.v., The time of slaughting beasts, den slagh-tijdt. |