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sacrifice

/ˈsæk.ɹɪˌfaɪs/
nounverb

Originally, the killing (and often burning) of a human being or an animal as an offering to a deity; later, also the offering of an object to a deity.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. Originally, the killing (and often burning) of a human being or an animal as an offering to a deity; later, also the offering of an object to a deity.

  2. A human being or an animal, or a physical object or immaterial thing (see etymology 1 sense 1.3), offered to a deity.

  3. The offering of devotion, penitence, prayer, thanksgiving, etc., to a deity.

  4. Jesus Christ's voluntary offering of himself to God the Father to be crucified as atonement for the sins of humankind.

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To offer (a human being or an animal, or an object) to a deity.

  2. To destroy or kill (a human being or an animal); specifically (sciences), to kill (an animal) for a scientific experiment or test.

  3. To destroy or surrender (something) for the sake of something else regarded as more urgent or valuable.

    “Venison has many advantages over meat from factory farms, although it still requires a hunter to sacrifice the life of a deer.”

  4. Of a batter: to advance (one or more runners on base) by batting the ball so it can be fielded, placing the batter out but with insufficient time to put the runner(s) out.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English sacrifice (“act of offering a life or object to a deity; the life or object so offered”), from Anglo-Norman sacrefiz, and Old French sacrifice, sacrifise (modern French sacrifice), from Latin sacrificium (“something offered to a deity, sacrifice”), from sacrum (“sacrifice, sacrificial rite”) + faciō (“to do, to make”) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns).

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SACRIFICE at a glance

SACRIFICE has 9 letters and scores 16 points in Scrabble (S 1 + A 1 + C 3 + R 1 + I 1 + F 4 + I 1 + C 3 + E 1) and 18 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #4,327 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.

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