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Sacrifice   /sˈækrəfˌaɪs/   Listen
noun
Sacrifice  n.  
1.
The offering of anything to God, or to a god; consecratory rite. "Great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud, To Dagon."
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." "My life, if thou preserv'st my life, Thy sacrifice shall be."
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.


verb
Sacrifice  v. t.  (past & past part. sacrificed; pres. part. sacrificing)  
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."
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." "The Baronet had sacrificed a large sum... for the sake of... making this boy his heir."
3.
To destroy; to kill.
4.
To sell at a price less than the cost or the actual value. (Tradesmen's Cant)


Sacrifice  v. 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."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Sacrifice" Quotes from Famous Books



... to do him anything but good," he said diplomatically, trying to convince himself that he was not damaging the reputation for perfect candour which he hoped that he enjoyed. "It's not a pleasant task, but there are circumstances in which one has to sacrifice one's ...
— A Comedy of Masks - A Novel • Ernest Dowson and Arthur Moore
... the table. That was because she herself had had first choice in the matter of bed and dressing table, and having seized upon the most desirable from her point of view, felt that she owed the other girl some reparation. Because they had been Lloyd's she wanted them so strongly that she was ready to sacrifice everything else in the room for them, or even fight for their ...
— The Little Colonel's Chum: Mary Ware • Annie Fellows Johnston
... head of the moderate men. Though not convinced of the strict legality of the meeting, he thought a reform in parliament so important and desirable an object, that to the probability or chance of obtaining this great advantage it was the wisdom of a true patriot to sacrifice punctilio, and to hazard all, but, what he was too wise and good to endanger, the peace of the country. Lord Charlemont accepted the office of president, specially with the hope that he and his friends might be able to influence the convention in favour of proceedings at once temperate ...
— Richard Lovell Edgeworth - A Selection From His Memoir • Richard Lovell Edgeworth
... his war-cap, the trophy of victory over the bears, and gone home bare-headed—nay, bare-headed the livelong summer—could he by that sacrifice have secured the scalp of the Wyandot giant, so greatly did he covet this additional trophy of his victory over a warrior so renowned. But the body was nowhere to be found, all traces of it vanishing at the brink of the river-bank. The party crossed the stream ...
— Burl • Morrison Heady
... receive more benefit from the life of a priest entirely dedicated to this work of Missions, than if it were given to a specific parish or diocese. Even were a parish or small country mission to be deprived for the time being of a resident pastor, should not that sacrifice be made, generously and cheerfully, for the sake of a greater cause. It is assuredly a short-sighted policy to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of souls for the care of a few, to prefer the welfare of a parish to that of the Church at large. ...
— Catholic Problems in Western Canada • George Thomas Daly


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