Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An organized, often officially encouraged massacre or persecution of a minority group, especially one conducted against Jews.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In Russia, an organized massacre, particularly a massacre of Jews that is countenanced more or less openly by the officials.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A riot aimed at persecution or massacre of a particular ethnic or religious group, usually Jews.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun organized persecution of an ethnic group (especially Jews)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Russian, outrage, havoc, from pogromit', to wreak havoc : po-, perfective aspectual pref. (from po, next to; see apo- in Indo-European roots) + gromit', to outrage, wreak havoc (from grom, thunder).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Via Yiddish פאגראם (pogróm), from Russian погром (pogróm).

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Examples

Comments

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  • For this word's Russian origins, see my comment at porajmos.

    November 18, 2008