mar·tyr
(mär
t
r)
KEY
NOUN:
- One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.
- One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.
-
- One who endures great suffering:
a martyr to arthritis.
- One who makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy.
TRANSITIVE VERB:
mar·tyred
,
mar·tyr·ing
,
mar·tyrs
- To make a martyr of, especially to put to death for devotion to religious beliefs.
- To inflict great pain on; torment.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Late Greek
martur, from Greek
martus
, martur-,
witness
