Sacrifice/Definition

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Sacrifice [r]: To give up something good for the sake of a greater good. In Greek mythology, it means the act of burning food or giving up valuable objects to a god or goddess as a form of worship and as a sign of respect and love. The word has an etymology from the Latin roots sacr meaning sacred and facere meaning make, that is, sacrifice means to make sacred. According to Elizabeth Vandiver, Prometheus set a precedent with a first sacrifice in which, to benefit mankind, he burnt the worst portions of the animal for the gods, so that humans could get meat from the best parts; Prometheus was later punished for his attempted deception.