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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
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
Thou
martyrest
with sorrow and with smart. Spenser.
Racked with sciatics,
martyred
with the stone. Pope.
Webster 1828 Edition
Martyr
M`ARTYR
,Noun.
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.
1.
To murder; to destroy.