n.
Pronunciation: ' mär-t ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek martyr-, martys witness
Date: before 12th century
1 : a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion
2 : a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle
3 : VICTIM especially : a great or constant sufferer <a martyr to asthma all his life ― A. J. Cronin>
– mar · tyr · i · za · tion \ ˌ mär-t ə -r ə - ' z ā -sh ə n \ noun
– mar · tyr · ize \ ' mär-t ə - ˌ r ī z \ transitive verb