Dictionary

The offering of anything to a god; a consecratory rite.

The destruction or surrender of anything for the sake of something else; the devotion of something desirable to something higher, or to a calling deemed more pressing.

Example: the sacrifice of one's spare time in order to volunteer

Something sacrificed.

A loss of profit.

To offer (something) as a gift to a deity.

To give away (something valuable) to get at least a possibility of gaining something else of value (such as self-respect, trust, love, freedom, prosperity), or to avoid an even greater loss.

Example: Venison has many advantages over meat from factory farms, although it still requires a hunter to sacrifice the life of a deer.

To trade (a value of higher worth) for something of lesser worth in order to gain something else valued more, such as an ally or business relationship, or to avoid an even greater loss; to sell without profit to gain something other than money.

To intentionally give up (a piece) in order to improve one’s position on the board.