/sak"reuh meuhnt/ , n.
1. Eccles. a visible sign of an inward grace, esp. one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.
2. ( often cap. ) Also called Holy Sacrament . the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.
3. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, esp. the bread.
4. something regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.
5. a sign, token, or symbol.
6. an oath; solemn pledge.
[ 1150-1200; ME sacramentum obligation, oath, LL: mystery, rite, equiv. to L sacra ( re ) to devote + -mentum -MENT ]