Translate sacrifice | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of sacrifice
noun
an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure:they offer sacrifices to the spirits the ancient laws of animal sacrifice an animal, person, or object offered in a sacrifice. an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy:we must all be prepared to make sacrifices Christian Church Christ’s offering of himself in the Crucifixion. Christian Church the Eucharist regarded either (in Catholic terms) as a propitiatory offering of the body and blood of Christ or (in Protestant terms) as an act of thanksgiving. Chess a move intended to allow the opponent to win a pawn or piece, for strategic or tactical reasons. (also sacrifice bunt or sacrifice hit) Baseball a bunted ball that puts the batter out but allows a base runner or runners to advance. (also sacrifice bid) Bridge a bid made in the belief that it will be less costly to be defeated in the contract than to allow the opponents to make a contract.
verb
[with object] offer or kill as a religious sacrifice:the goat was sacrificed at the shrine give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations:working hard doesn’t mean sacrificing your social life Chess deliberately allow one’s opponent to win (a pawn or piece). Baseball advance (a base runner) by a sacrifice. [no object] Bridge make a sacrifice bid.
Remember that
sacrifice and the related word
sacrificial have an
i after the
r.
