Definition of Martyr

1. Noun. One who suffers for the sake of principle.

Exact synonyms: Sufferer
Specialized synonyms: Shaheed
Generic synonyms: Victim
Specialized synonyms: Tindal, Tindale, Tyndale, William Tindal, William Tindale, William Tyndale
Derivative terms: Martyrdom, Martyrize, Suffer

2. Verb. Kill as a martyr. "Saint Sebastian was martyred"
Generic synonyms: Kill

3. Noun. One who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion.

4. Verb. Torture and torment like a martyr.
Exact synonyms: Martyrise, Martyrize
Generic synonyms: Excruciate, Torment, Torture

Definition of Martyr

1. n. One who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel; one who is put to death for his religion; as, Stephen was the first Christian martyr.

2. v. t. To put to death for adhering to some belief, esp. Christianity; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.

Definition of Martyr

1. Noun. One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom. ¹

2. Noun. (by extension) One who sacrifices his or her life, station, or what is of great value to him or her, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause. ¹

3. Noun. (''with a prepositional phrase of cause'') One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To make someone into a '''martyr''' by putting him or her to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession. ¹

5. Verb. (transitive) To persecute. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive) To torment; to torture. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Martyr

1. to put to death for adhering to a belief [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Martyr

1. 1. To put to death for adhering to some belief, especially. Christianity; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession. 2. To persecute; to torment; to torture. "The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart." (Spenser) "Racked with sciatics, martyred with the stone." (Pope) Origin: Martyred; Martyring. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Martyr

martingale
martingales
martingals
martini
martinique
martinis
martinmas
martins
martite
martites
martius yellow
martlet
martlets
marts
martynia
martyr (current term)
martyr operation
martyrdom
martyrdom video
martyrdom videos
martyrdoms
martyred
martyress
martyresses
martyria
martyrial
martyries
martyring
martyrion
martyrions

Literary usage of Martyr

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Works of Washington Irving by Washington Irving (1861)
"With her peculiar delicacy, however, she first made her confessor, Hernando de Talavera, inquire of martyr in what capacity he desired to serve her. ..."

2. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench: With by Great Britain Court of King's Bench, John Leycester Adolphus, Thomas Flower Ellis (1838)
"11., made a part of the Upper Liberty, by the name of St. George the martyr, a separate parish for ecclesiastical purposes only, under sect. ..."

3. The Living Age by Making of America Project, Eliakim Littell, Robert S. Littell (1858)
"Patrick Hamilton, the first Preacher and martyr of the Scottish ... Patrick Hamilton was the proto-martyr of the Scottish Reformation. ..."

4. The Bibliographer's Manual of English Literature: Containing an Account of by William Thomas Lowndes (1858)
"Royal martyr» or the Life and Death of King Charles I. Lond. 1676, 8vo. ... With a Character of that martyr, by Diodati and Henderson. To which is added, ..."

5. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"The itineraries of the graves of the Roman martyrs, as given in the seventh century, mention the burial-place of this celebrated martyr in the Catacomb of ..."

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