To put to death as a punishment for adherence to some religious belief, especially for adherence to Christianity; hence, to put to death for the maintaining of any obnoxious belief or cause.
To put to death for any cause; destroy, as in revenge or retaliation; torture.
To persecute as a martyr; afflict; despoil; torment.
noun.
Originally, a witness; one who bears testimony to his faith.
noun.
One who willingly suffers death rather than surrender his religious faith; one who bears witness to the sincerity of his faith by submitting to death in asserting it; specifically, one of those Christians who in former times were put to death because they would not renounce their religious belief: as, Stephen was the first martyr (called the protomartyr); the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
noun.
One who suffers death or grievous loss in defense or on behalf of any belief or cause, or in consequence of supporting it: as, he died a martyr to his political principles or to his devotion to science.
noun.
Hence One who suffers greatly from any cause; one who is afflicted; a victim of misfortune, calamity, or disease: as, a martyr to gout, or to tight lacing.
noun.
[⟨ martyr, v.] An old instrument of torture in which the victim was subjected to agonizing pressure.
noun.
In wine-making, a wooden box used for pressing grapes.