sacrament any of certain sacred rites of the Christian Church XII; spec. the S., the Eucharist, Holy Communion XIII; (arch.) sacred or solemn pledge XIV. ME. sacrement (also sacra-, by assim. to L.) — (O)F. sacrement — L. sacrāmentum solemn engagement, caution-money deposited in a suit, military oath, (in ChrL.) used to render Gr. mustérion MYSTERY1, f. sacrāre hallow, consecrate, f. sacer SACRED; see -MENT.
So sacramental adj. XIV; sb. rite analogous to a sacrament XVI. — OF. or late L. sacramentarian XVI. f. modL. sacrāmentārius, applied to those denying the Real Presence. sacrarium sanctuary of a church. XVIII. — eccl. use of L. sacrārium place in which sacred objects were kept. sacred consecrated, dedicated to XIV; dedicated to a religious purpose XV; reverenced as holy, secured against violation XVI. orig. pp. (see -ED1) of †sacre consecrate — (O)F. sacrer — L. sacrāre consecrate, dedicate to a divinity, f. sacer, sacr- consecrated, holy, rel. to sanctus sacred (see SAINT). sacrifice offering of a slaughtered animal, etc. to a deity; that which is so offered XIII; Jesus Christ's offering of himself XIV; applied to the Eucharist; gen. (so self-s.) XVI. — (O)F. — L. sacrificium; see -FIC; hence vb. XIII. sacrificial XVII. sacrilege violation of a sacred person or thing, prop. theft of a sacred object XIII; profanation XIV. — (O)F. sacrilège — L. sacrilegium, f. sacrilegus one who steals sacred things, f. sacer, sacri- + legere take possession of; hence sacrilegious XVI. sacring (hist.) consecration of the Eucharist. XIII. f. †sacre consecrate + -ING1; hence sacring-bell XIV. sacrist one having charge of sacred vessels, etc. XVI. — (O)F. sacriste, or medL. sacrista. sacristan XIV. — medL. sacristānus. sacristy repository in a church for sacred objects. XVII. — F. sacristie, It. sacrestia or medL. sacristia. sacro- used as comb. form (see -O-) of SACRUM in anat. terms. XIX. sacrosanct secured by religious sanction. XVII. — L. sacrōsanctus, f. sacrō, abl. of sacrum sacred rite, sb. use of n. of sacer + sanctus sacred (see SAINT). sacrum (anat.) lowest bone of the spine. XVIII. Short for late L. os sacrum, tr. Gr. hieròn ostéon ‘sacred bone’.