Plural of abattoir; slaughterhouses where animals are killed and processed for meat.
From French 'abattoir,' derived from 'abattre' meaning 'to knock down' or 'to slaughter.' The French word became the standard term in English for meat processing facilities in the 19th century.
The French word 'abattoir' became the universal English term for slaughterhouses probably because the British considered French terminology more refined than using blunt Anglo-Saxon words for killing animals—a linguistic mask for uncomfortable reality.
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