hol|o|caust

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• holocaustic — hol·o·caust (hŏl’ə kôst′, hō’lə ) n. 1) Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life, especially by fire. 2) a) Holocaust The genocide of European Jews and other groups by the Nazis during World War II: » Israel emerged from the… …   Word Histories

• holocaust — hol|o|caust [ˈhɔləko:st US ˈha:ləko:st] n [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: holocauste, from Greek holokaustos burnt whole , from holos whole + kaiein to burn ] 1.) a situation in which there is great destruction and a lot of people die ▪ a …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• holocaust — hol|o|caust [ halə,kɔst ] noun count a war in which very many ordinary people are killed: a nuclear holocaust …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• Holocaust, the — Hol|o|caust, the [ halə,kɔst ] the organized killing of millions of Jews and other people by the German Nazi government during World War II …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• holocaust — hol•o•caust [[t]ˈhɒl əˌkɔst, ˈhoʊ lə [/t]] n. 1) a great or complete devastation or destruction, esp. by fire 2) a sacrifice consumed by fire 3) why the Holocaust, the systematic mass slaughter of European Jews in Nazi concentration camps during… …   From formal English to slang

• Holocaust — Hol o*caust, n. [L. holocaustum, Gr. ?, neut. of ?, ?, burnt whole; o los whole + kaysto s burnt, fr. kai ein to burn (cf. {Caustic}): cf. F. holocauste.] 1. A burnt sacrifice; an offering, the whole of which was consumed by fire, among the Jews… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Shoah — Holocaust Hol o*caust, n. [L. holocaustum, Gr. ?, neut. of ?, ?, burnt whole; o los whole + kaysto s burnt, fr. kai ein to burn (cf. {Caustic}): cf. F. holocauste.] 1. A burnt sacrifice; an offering, the whole of which was consumed by fire, among …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• The Holocaust — Holocaust Hol o*caust, n. [L. holocaustum, Gr. ?, neut. of ?, ?, burnt whole; o los whole + kaysto s burnt, fr. kai ein to burn (cf. {Caustic}): cf. F. holocauste.] 1. A burnt sacrifice; an offering, the whole of which was consumed by fire, among …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English