Sacrifice

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: sac=ri=fice

CIDE DICTIONARY

Sacrifice, n. [OE. sacrifise, sacrifice, F. sacrifice, fr. L. sacrificium; sacer sacred + facere to make. See Sacred, and Fact.].

•  The offering of anything to God, or to a god; consecratory rite.  [1913 Webster]

  "Great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud,
  To Dagon."  [1913 Webster]
•  Anything consecrated and offered to God, or to a divinity; an immolated victim, or an offering of any kind, laid upon an altar, or otherwise presented in the way of religious thanksgiving, atonement, or conciliation.  [1913 Webster]

  "Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood
  Of human sacrifice."  [1913 Webster]

  "My life, if thou preserv'st my life,
  Thy sacrifice shall be."  [1913 Webster]
•  Destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; devotion of some desirable object in behalf of a higher object, or to a claim deemed more pressing; hence, also, the thing so devoted or given up; as, the sacrifice of interest to pleasure, or of pleasure to interest.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value.  [1913 Webster]

Burnt sacrifice. See Burnt offering, under Burnt. -- Sacrifice hit (Baseball), in batting, a hit of such a kind that the batter loses his chance of tallying, but enables one or more who are on bases to get home or gain a base.

Sacrifice, v. t. [From Sacrifice, n.: cf. F. sacrifier, L. sacrificare; sacer sacred, holy + -ficare (only in comp.) to make. See -fy.].

•  To make an offering of; to consecrate or present to a divinity by way of expiation or propitiation, or as a token acknowledgment or thanksgiving; to immolate on the altar of God, in order to atone for sin, to procure favor, or to express thankfulness; as, to sacrifice an ox or a sheep.  [1913 Webster]

  "Oft sacrificing bullock, lamb, or kid."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to destroy, surrender, or suffer to be lost, for the sake of obtaining something; to give up in favor of a higher or more imperative object or duty; to devote, with loss or suffering.  [1913 Webster]

  "Condemned to sacrifice his childish years
  To babbling ignorance, and to empty fears."  [1913 Webster]

  "The Baronet had sacrificed a large sum . . . for the sake of . . . making this boy his heir."  [1913 Webster]
•  To destroy; to kill.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]
•  To sell at a price less than the cost or the actual value.  [1913 Webster]

Sacrifice, v. i. 

 To make offerings to God, or to a deity, of things consumed on the altar; to offer sacrifice.  [1913 Webster]
"O teacher, some great mischief hath befallen
To that meek man, who well had sacrificed."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Sacrifice, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else more important or worthy. b a thing given up in this way. c the loss entailed in this.
2 a the slaughter of an animal or person or the surrender of a possession as an offering to a deity. b an animal, person, or thing offered in this way.
3 an act of prayer, thanksgiving, or penitence as propitiation.
4 Theol. a Christ's offering of himself in the Crucifixion. b the Eucharist as either a propitiatory offering of the body and blood of Christ or an act of thanksgiving.
5 (in games) a loss incurred deliberately to avoid a greater loss or to obtain a compensating advantage.
--v.
1 tr. give up (a thing) as a sacrifice.
2 tr. (foll. by to) devote or give over to.
3 tr. (also absol.) offer or kill as a sacrifice.

Derivative

sacrificial adj. sacrificially adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L sacrificium f. sacrificus (as SACRED)

THESAURUS

Sacrifice

abandon, abandonment, abjuration, abjure, altruism, annihilate, appease, bane, be bereaved of, bereave of life, bereavement, blood, bloodletting, bloodshed, braining, burnt offering, carry away, carry off, cease, cede, cession, chloroform, close out, collection, commitment, consecrate, consecration, convert into cash, cost, cut down, cut off, cut under, damage, dead loss, dealing death, debit, dedicate, dedication, default, denial, denudation, deprivation, deprive of life, desist, despoilment, destroy, destruction, destruction of life, detriment, devote, devotion, disgorge, disinterest, disinterestedness, dispatch, dispensation, dispense with, disposal, dispose of, disposition, dispossession, divestment, do away with, do for, do to death, do without, donate, drink offering, drop, dump, dumping, effect a sale, end, eschew, euthanasia, ex voto offering, execute, execution, expense, exterminate, extermination, finish, finish off, flow of blood, forbear, forfeit, forfeiture, forgo, forgoing, forswear, forswearing, get along without, get rid of, getting rid of, give, give away, give up, giving up, go astray from, gore, have done with, heave offering, hecatomb, holocaust, human sacrifice, humility, immolate, immolate before, immolation, incense, incur loss, infanticide, injury, job, kill, killing, kiss good-bye, lapidation, launch into eternity, lean over backwards, let go, let slip, letting go, libation, liquidate, lose, lose out, loser, losing, losing streak, loss, lynch, mactation, make a sacrifice, make a sale, make away with, make propitiation, make sacrifice to, market, martyr, martyrdom, martyrization, martyrize, merchandise, mercy killing, mislay, misplace, miss, modesty, move, oblation, offer, offer sacrifice, offer up, offering, offertory, part with, peace offering, perdition, piacular offering, poison, poisoning, privation, propitiate, purge, put away, put down, put to death, put to sleep, quitclaim, recant, recantation, refrain from, release, relinquish, relinquishment, remove from life, render up, renounce, renunciation, resell, resign, resignation, retail, retract, retraction, riddance, ritual killing, ritual murder, robbery, ruin, sacramental offering, scapegoat, self-abasement, self-abnegation, self-denial, self-devotion, self-effacement, self-forgetfulness, self-immolation, self-neglect, self-neglectfulness, self-renouncement, self-sacrifice, self-subjection, selflessness, sell, sell off, sell on consignment, sell out, sell over, sell retail, sell short, sell up, sell wholesale, shooting, slaughter, slay, slaying, spare, spoliation, starve, stoning, stop, stripping, suffer loss, surrender, suttee, sutteeism, swear off, swearing off, take life, take off, taking away, taking of life, thank offering, throw up, total loss, turn into money, turn over, unacquisitiveness, undercut, undergo privation, undersell, unload, unpossessiveness, unselfishness, vacate, victimize, votive offering, waive, wander from, whole offering, wholesale, yield, yielding

ROGET THESAURUS

Sacrifice

Giving

N giving, bestowal, bestowment, donation, presentation, presentment, accordance, concession, delivery, consignment, dispensation, communication, endowment, investment, investiture, award, almsgiving, charity, liberality, generosity, gift, donation, present, cadeau, fairing, free gift, boon, favor, benefaction, grant, offering, oblation, sacrifice, immolation, lagniappe, pilon, grace, act of grace, bonus, allowance, contribution, subscription, subsidy, tribute, subvention, bequest, legacy, devise, will, dotation, dot, appanage, voluntary settlement, voluntary conveyance, amortization, alms, largess, bounty, dole, sportule, donative, help, oblation, offertory, honorarium, gratuity, Peter pence, sportula, Christmas box, Easter offering, vail, douceur, drink money, pourboire, trinkgeld, bakshish, fee, consideration, bribe, bait, ground bait, peace offering, handsel, boodle, graft, grease, blat, giver, grantor, donor, feoffer, settlor, giving, given, allowed, allowable, concessional, communicable, charitable, eleemosynary, sportulary, tributary, gratis, donative, auctor pretiosa facit, ex dono, res est ingeniosa dare.

VB deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of, hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over, assign dower, present, give away, dispense, dispose of, give out, deal out, dole out, mete out, fork out, squeeze out, pay, render, impart, communicate, concede, cede, yield, part with, shed, cast, spend, give, bestow, confer, grant, accord, award, assign, intrust, consign, vest in, make a present, allow, contribute, subscribe, furnish its quota, invest, endow, settle upon, bequeath, leave, devise, furnish, supply, help, administer to, afford, spare, accommodate with, indulge with, favor with, shower down upon, lavish, pour on, thrust upon, tip, bribe, tickle the palm, grease the palm, offer, sacrifice, immolate.

Destruction

N destruction, waste, dissolution, breaking up, diruption, disruption, consumption, disorganization, fall, downfall, devastation, ruin, perdition, crash, eboulement, smash, havoc, delabrement, debacle, break down, break up, fall apart, prostration, desolation, bouleversement, wreck, wrack, shipwreck, cataclysm, washout, extinction, annihilation, destruction of life, knock-down blow, doom, crack of doom, destroying, demolition, demolishment, overthrow, subversion, suppression, abolition, biblioclasm, sacrifice, ravage, razzia, inactivation, incendiarism, revolution, extirpation, beginning of the end, commencement de la fin, road to ruin, dilapidation, sabotage, destroyed, perishing, trembling to its fall, nodding to its fall, tottering to its fall, in course of destruction, extinct, all-destroying, all-devouring, all-engulfing, destructive, subversive, ruinous, devastating, incendiary, deletory, destroying, suicidal, deadly, with crushing effect, with a sledge hammer, delenda est Carthago, dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit, ecrasez l'infame.

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.

Worship

N worship, adoration, devotion, aspiration, homage, service, humiliation, kneeling, genuflection, prostration, prayer, invocation, supplication, rogation, intercession, orison, holy breathing, petition, collect, litany, Lord's prayer, paternoster, beadroll, latria, dulia, hyperdulia, vigils, revival, cult, anxious meeting, camp meeting, ebenezer, virginal, thanksgiving, giving thanks, returning thanks, grace, praise, glorification, benediction, doxology, hosanna, hallelujah, allelujah, Te Deum, non nobis Domine, nunc dimittis, paean, benschen, Ave Maria, O Salutaris, Sanctus, The Annunciation, Tersanctus, Trisagion, psalm, psalmody, hymn, plain song, chant, chaunt, response, anthem, motet, antiphon, antiphony, oblation, sacrifice, incense, libation, burnt offering, heave offering, votive offering, offertory, discipline, self-discipline, self-examination, self-denial, fasting, divine service, office, duty, exercises, morning prayer, mass, matins, evensong, vespers, undernsong, tierce, holyday, worshipper, congregation, communicant, celebrant, worshipping, devout, devotional, reverent, pure, solemn, fervid, Int, hallelujah, allelujah!, hosanna!, glory be to God!, O Lord!, pray God that!, God grant, God bless, God save, God forbid!, sursum corda, making their lives a prayer, ora et labora, prayers ardent open heaven.

Atonement

N atonement, reparation, compromise, composition, compensation, quittance, quits, expiation, redemption, reclamation, conciliation, propitiation, indemnification, redress, amends, apology, amende honorable, satisfaction, peace offering, sin offering, burnt offering, scapegoat, sacrifice, penance, fasting, maceration, sackcloth and ashes, white sheet, shrift, flagellation, lustration, purgation, purgatory.

Husbandry

N husbandry, taming, circuration, zoohygiantics, domestication, domesticity, manege, veterinary art, farriery, breeding, pisciculture, menagerie, vivarium, zoological garden, bear pit, aviary, apiary, alveary, beehive, hive, aquarium, fishery, duck pond, fish pond, phthisozoics, euthanasia, sacrifice, humane destruction, neatherd, cowherd, shepherd, grazier, drover, cowkeeper, trainer, breeder, apiarian, apiarist, bull whacker, cowboy, cow puncher, farrier, horse leech, horse doctor, vaquero, veterinarian, vet, veterinary surgeon, cage, hencoop, bird cage, cauf, range, sheepfold, pastoral, bucolic, tame, domestic.