Holocaust
/ˈhɒl.ə.kɔːst/noun
Destruction or slaughter on a massive scale, especially the genocide of European Jews and others by Nazi Germany.
Did you know?In ancient Greek and Jewish/Christian usage, the word could describe a sacrifice consumed entirely by fire, long before it became a term for mass destruction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰel-
“to burn, shine”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὁλόκαυστος (holókaustos)
“entirely burnt; wholly consumed by fire”
Late Latin
Latin
holocaustum
“a wholly burnt offering”
Middle English
English
holocauste / holocaust
“a burnt sacrifice or offering consumed by fire”
20th Century
English
Holocaust
“the genocide of Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany; also, by extension, a mass destruction by fire or slaughter”
Explore more surprising origins