1. (n.) A burnt sacrifice; an offering, the whole of which was consumed by fire, among the Jews and some pagan nations.

2. (n.) Sacrifice or loss of many lives, as by the burning of a theater or a ship. [An extended use not authorized by careful writers.]

annihilation bloodbath blue ruin breakup burnt offering butchery carnage clawing collection conflagration consumption cruciation crucifixion damnation decimation depredation desolation despoilment despoliation destruction devastation disintegration disorganization disruption dissolution drink offering elimination eradication ex voto offering extermination extinction final solution fire genocide havoc heave offering hecatomb hell hell upon earth horror human sacrifice immolation incense infanticide inferno laceration lancination libation mactation martyrdom mass destruction mass murder massacre nightmare oblation offering offertory passion peace offering perdition persecution piacular offering pogrom purgatory race extermination race-murder rack ravage ruin ruination sacramental offering sacrifice saturnalia of blood scapegoat self-immolation self-sacrifice shambles slaughter spoliation suttee sutteeism thank offering torment torture undoing vandalism votive offering waste whole offering wholesale murder wrack wrack and ruin wreck