Main Entry: ¹mar·tyr

Pronunciation: \ˈmär-tər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys witness

Date: before 12th century

1 : a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion
2 : a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle
3 : victim; especially : a great or constant sufferer <a martyr to asthma all his life — A. J. Cronin>

— mar·tyr·i·za·tion \ˌmär-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

— mar·tyr·ize \ˈmär-tə-ˌrīz\ transitive verb