Part 9

4. Hence, not to be profaned or violated; inviolable.

Secrets of marriage still are sacred held.

Dryden.

5. Consecrated; dedicated; devoted; -- with to.

A temple, sacred to the queen of love.

Dryden.

6. Solemnly devoted, in a bad sense, as to evil, vengeance, curse, or the like; accursed; baleful. [Archaic]

But, to destruction sacred and devote.

Milton.

Society of the Sacred Heart (R.C. Ch.), a religious order of women, founded in France in 1800, and approved in 1826. It was introduced into America in 1817. The members of the order devote themselves to the higher branches of female education. -- Sacred baboon. (Zoöl.) See Hamadryas. -- Sacred bean (Bot.), a seed of the Oriental lotus (Nelumbo speciosa or Nelumbium speciosum), a plant resembling a water lily; also, the plant itself. See Lotus. -- Sacred beetle (Zoöl.) See Scarab. -- Sacred canon. See Canon, n., 3. - - Sacred fish (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of fresh-water African fishes of the family Mormyridæ. Several large species inhabit the Nile and were considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians; especially Mormyrus oxyrhynchus. -- Sacred ibis. See Ibis. -- Sacred monkey. (Zoöl.) (a) Any Asiatic monkey of the genus Semnopithecus, regarded as sacred by the Hindoos; especially, the entellus. See Entellus. (b) The sacred baboon. See Hamadryas. (c) The bhunder, or rhesus monkey. -- Sacred place (Civil Law), the place where a deceased person is buried.

Syn. -- Holy; divine; hallowed; consecrated; dedicated; devoted; religious; venerable; reverend.

-- Sa"cred*ly (#), adv. -- Sa"cred*ness, n.

{ Sacrif"ic (?), Sa*crif"ic*al (?) }, a. [L. sacrificus, sacrificalis. See Sacrifice.] Employed in sacrifice. [R.] Johnson.

Sa*crif"ic*a*ble (?), a. Capable of being offered in sacrifice. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Sa*crif"ic*ant (?), n. [L. sacrificans, p. pr. See Sacrifice.] One who offers a sacrifice. [R.]

Sac"ri*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [L.] A sacrificer; one who offers a sacrifice. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Sa*crif"ic*a*to*ry (?), n. [Cf. F. sacrificatoire.] Offering sacrifice. [R.] Sherwood.

Sac"ri*fice (?; 277), n. [OE. sacrifise, sacrifice, F. sacrifice, fr. L. sacrificium; sacer sacred + facere to make. See Sacred, and Fact.] 1. The offering of anything to God, or to a god; consecratory rite.

Great pomp, and sacrifice, and praises loud, To Dagon.

Milton.

2. Anything consecrated and offered to God, or to a divinity; an immolated victim, or an offering of any kind, laid upon an altar, or otherwise presented in the way of religious thanksgiving, atonement, or conciliation.

Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood Of human sacrifice.

Milton.

My life, if thou preserv'st my life, Thy sacrifice shall be.

Addison.

3. Destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; devotion of some desirable object in behalf of a higher object, or to a claim deemed more pressing; hence, also, the thing so devoted or given up; as, the sacrifice of interest to pleasure, or of pleasure to interest.

4. A sale at a price less than the cost or the actual value. [Tradesmen's Cant]

Burnt sacrifice. See Burnt offering, under Burnt. -- Sacrifice hit (Baseball), in batting, a hit of such a kind that the batter loses his chance of tallying, but enables one or more who are on bases to get home or gain a base.