Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Martyr

Mar′tyr

,
Noun.
[AS., from L.
martyr
, Gr.
μάρτυρ
,
μάρτυς
, prop., a witness; cf. Skr.
smṛ
to remember, E.
memory
.]
1.
One who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel; one who is put to death for his religion;
as,
Stephen
was the first Christian
martyr
.
Chaucer.
To be a
martyr
, signifies only to witness the truth of Christ; but the witnessing of the truth was then so generally attended with persecution, that martyrdom now signifies not only to witness, but to witness by death.
South.
2.
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
!
Shakespeare

Mar′tyr

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Martyred
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Martyring
.]
1.
To put to death for adhering to some belief, esp. Christianity; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
Bp. Pearson.
2.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition


Martyr

M`ARTYR

,
Noun.
[Gr. a witness.] One who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel. Stephen was the first christian martyr.
To be a martyr signifies only to witness the truth of Christ.
1.
One who suffers death in defense of any cause. We say, a man dies a martyr to his political principles or to the cause of liberty.

M`ARTYR

,
Verb.
T.
To put to death for adhering to what one believes to be the truth; to sacrifice one on account of his faith or profession.
1.
To murder; to destroy.

Definition 2024


martyr

martyr

English

Noun

martyr (plural martyrs)

  1. One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom.
    Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr.
  2. (by extension) One who sacrifices his or her life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.
  3. (with a prepositional phrase of cause) One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily.
    Stan is a martyr to arthritis, Chris a martyr to Stan's endless moaning about it.
    • 1937, AJ Cronin, The Citadel:
      He'd been a martyr to asthma all his life.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

martyr (third-person singular simple present martyrs, present participle martyring, simple past and past participle martyred)

  1. (transitive) To make someone into a martyr by putting him or her to death for adhering to, or acting in accordance with, some belief, especially religious; to sacrifice on account of faith or profession.
  2. (transitive) To persecute.
    Some religious and other minorities were martyred until extinction.
  3. (transitive) To torment; to torture.
    The lovely Amoret, whose gentle heart
    Thou martyrest with sorrow and with smart. — Spenser

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations


Danish

Noun

martyr c (singular definite martyren, plural indefinite martyrer)

  1. martyr

Declension

References


French

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, witness).

Pronunciation

Noun

martyr m (plural martyrs, feminine martyre)

  1. martyr

Related terms


Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, witness).

Pronunciation

Noun

martyr m, f (genitive martyris); third declension

  1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) martyr, especially a Christian martyr

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative martyr martyrēs
genitive martyris martyrum
dative martyrī martyribus
accusative martyrem martyrēs
ablative martyre martyribus
vocative martyr martyrēs

Related terms

Descendants

References


Norman

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, witness).

Noun

martyr m (plural martyrs)

  1. (religion) martyr

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, witness).

Noun

martyr m (definite singular martyren, indefinite plural martyrer, definite plural martyrene)

  1. martyr

Related terms

References


Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin martyr, from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), later form of μάρτυς (mártus, witness).

Noun

martyr m (definite singular martyren, indefinite plural martyrar, definite plural martyrane)

  1. martyr

Related terms

References


Swedish

Noun

martyr c

  1. martyr

Declension

Inflection of martyr 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative martyr martyren martyrer martyrerna
Genitive martyrs martyrens martyrers martyrernas

Related terms

  • martyrskap