What does "martyr" mean?
Martyr: Hence, one who sacrifices his life, his station, or what is of great value to him, for the sake of principle, or to sustain a cause. Then if thou fall'st, O Cromwell, Thou fall'st a blessed martyr ! Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.To put to death for adhering to some belief, esp. Christianity; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession. Bp. Pearson.
- 3.To persecute; to torment; to torture. Chaucer. The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart. Spenser. Racked with sciatics, martyred with the stone. Pope.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00