Noun: martyr maa(r)-tu(r)
- One who suffers for the sake of principle
"The political martyr endured years of imprisonment for his beliefs";
- sufferer
- One who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion
"The early Christian martyr faced execution rather than worship Roman gods"
- Kill as a martyr
"Saint Sebastian was martyred"
- Torture and torment like a martyr
"The prisoners were martyred by their captors";
- martyrize, martyrise [Brit]
Derived forms: martyrs, martyring, martyred
Type of: excruciate [archaic], kill, torment, torture, victim
Encyclopedia: Martyr, Peter