martyr
1mar·tyr
noun \ˈmär-tər\Definition of MARTYR
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
Origin of MARTYR
Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys witness
First Known Use: before 12th century
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