Quick Definition
σφαγή, ῆς, ἡ n.f. slaughter, sacrifice
Strong's Definition
butchery (of animals for food or sacrifice, or (figuratively) of men (destruction))
Derivation: from G4969 (σφάζω);
KJV Usage: slaughter
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ῆς | σφάζω
20.72 · Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill · Kill
slaughter, killing slaughtering, either of animals or persons; in contexts referring to persons, the implication is of violence and mercilessness
56.33 · Courts and Legal Procedures · Judge, Condemn, Acquit
Collocation: ἡμέρα σφαγῆς
day of condemnation (an idiom, literally: day of slaughter) a time of destructive judgment The reference of the phrase ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς in JAS 5:5 is the destructive judgment of God, but it is possible that σφαγῆς should be interpreted in a more literal sense of ‘destruction’ rather than mere condemnation.
1 It is possible that κατασφάζω is somewhat more emphatic in connotation than σφάζω.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σφαγή, -ῆς, ἡ, (σφάζω), slaughter: Acts viii. 32 (after Is. liii. 7) ; πρόβατα σφαγῆς. sheep destined for slaughter (Zech. xi. 4; Ps. xliii. (xliv.) 23), Ro. viii. 36; ἡμέρα σφαγῆς (Jer. xii. 3), 1. 4. day of destruction, das. v. 5. (Trage., Arstph., Xen., Plat., sqq.; Sept. for N20, 7399, ete.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σφαγή sphagē 3x
slaughter, Acts 8:32; Rom. 8:36; Jas. 5:5*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σφαγή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< σφάζω), [in LXX for טֶבַח, הֲרֵגָה, etc. ;]
slaughter: Ac 8:32 (LXX); πρόβατα σφαγῆς, Ro 8:36 (LXX); ἡμέρα σφαγῆς, Ja 5:5.†
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
σφαγή (sphagē) — slaughter. σφᾰγ-ή, ἡ, slaughter; the singular is frequently in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἕστηκε.. μῆλα πρὸς σφαγὰς πυρός ready for the sacrificial fire, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; πολυθύτους τεύχειν σ. to offer many sacrifices, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: also in Prose, ὑπὸ σφαγῆς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σφαγὰς τῶν γνωρίμων ποιήσαντες[Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. with collateral sense of a wound, αἷμα τῶν ἐμῶν σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκφυσιῶν.. αἵματος σφαγήν the blood gushing from the wound, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; καθάρμοσον σφαγάς close the gaping wound, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. the throat, the spot where the victim is struck (κοινὸν μέρος αὐχένος καὶ στήθους σφαγή [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in prose, οἰστοὺς.. ἐς τὰς σ. καθιέντες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν.. διὰ τῶν σ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]