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Webster 1913 Edition

Sacrifice

Sac′ri-fice

(?; 277)
,
Noun.
[OE.
sacrifise
,
sacrifice
, F.
sacrifice
, fr. L.
sacrificium
;
sacer
sacred +
facere
to make. See
Sacred
, and
Fact
.]
1.
The offering of anything to God, or to a god; consecratory rite.
Great pomp, and
sacrifice
, and praises loud,
To Dagon.
Milton.
2.
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.
Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood
Of human
sacrifice
.
Milton.
My life, if thou preserv’st my life,
Thy
sacrifice
shall be.
Addison.
3.
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
.
4.
A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value.
[Tradesmen's Cant]
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.

Sac′ri-fice

(?; 277)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sacrificed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sacrificing
.]
[From
Sacrifice
,
Noun.
: cf. F.
sacrifier
, L.
sacrificare
;
sacer
sacred, holy +
-ficare
(only in comp.) to make. See
-fy
.]
1.
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
.
Oft
sacrificing
bullock, lamb, or kid.
Milton.
2.
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.
Condemned to
sacrifice
his childish years
To babbling ignorance, and to empty fears.
Prior.
The Baronet had
sacrificed
a large sum . . . for the sake of . . . making this boy his heir.
G. Eliot.
3.
To destroy; to kill.
Johnson.
4.
To sell at a price less than the cost or the actual value.
[Tradesmen's Cant]

Sac′ri-fice

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

Webster 1828 Edition

Sacrifice

SAC'RIFICE

,
Verb.
T.
sac'rifize. [L. sacrifico; sacer, sacred, and facio, to make.]
1.
To offer to God in homage or worship, by killing and consuming, as victims on an altar; to immolate, either as an atonement for sin, or to procure favor, or to express thankfulness; as, to sacrifice an ox or a lamb. 2Sam. 6.
2.
To destroy, surrender or suffer to be lost for the sake of obtaining something; as, to sacrifice the peace of the church to a little vain curiosity. We should never sacrifice health to pleasure, nor integrity to fame.
3.
To devote with loss.
Condemn'd to sacrifice his childish years to babbling ignorance and to empty fears.
4.
To destroy; to kill.

SAC'RIFICE

,
Verb.
I.
To make offerings to God by the slaughter and burning of victims, or of some part of them. Ex. 3.

SAC'RIFICE

,
Noun.
[L. sacrificium.]
1.
An offering made to God by killing and burning some animal upon an altar, as an acknowledgment of his power and providence, or to make atonement for sin, appease his wrath or conciliate his favor, or to express thankfulness for his benefits. Sacrifices have been common to most nations, and have been offered to false gods, as well as by the Israelites to Jehovah. A sacrifice differs from an oblation; the latter being an offering of a thing entire or without change, as tithes or first fruits; whereas sacrifice implies a destruction or killing, as of a beast. Sacrifices are expiatory, impetratory, and eucharistical; that is, atoning for sin, seeking favor, or expressing thanks.
Human sacrifices, the killing and offering of human beings to deities, have been practiced by some barbarous nations.
2.
The thing offered to God, or immolated by an act of religion.
My life if thou preserv'st, my life thy sacrifice shall be.
3.
Destruction, surrender or loss made or incurred for gaining some object, or for obliging another; as the sacrifice of interest to pleasure, or of pleasure to interest.
4.
Any thing destroyed.

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