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Which chess term refers to an opening that involves a deliberate sacrifice?

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sacrifice

American  

[sak-ruh-fahys] / ˈsæk rəˌfaɪs /

noun

• sacrifices
  plural

1. 

   the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage.

2. the person, animal, or thing so offered.

3. the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

4. the thing so surrendered or devoted.

5. a loss incurred in selling something below its value.

6. Baseball. Also sacrifice hit a batted ball, specifically a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, that results in the batter being put out at first base while one or more base runners safely advance. S

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verb (used with object)

• sacrifices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sacrificed,
  past participle,  past
• sacrificing
  present participle

1. to make a sacrifice or offering of.

2. to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.

   Synonyms:

   renounce, forgo, relinquish

3. to dispose of (goods, property, etc.) regardless of profit.

verb (used without object)

• sacrifices,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sacrificed,
  past participle,  past
• sacrificing
  present participle

1. Baseball. to make a sacrifice hit.

   He sacrificed in the top of the fourth with a fly ball that brought in the go-ahead run from third base.

2. to offer or make a sacrifice.

sacrifice British  

/ ˈsækrɪˌfaɪs /

noun

1. a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil

2. a ritual killing of a person or animal with the intention of propitiating or pleasing a deity

3. a symbolic offering of something to a deity

4. the person, animal, or object surrendered, destroyed, killed, or offered

5. a religious ceremony involving one or more sacrifices

6. loss entailed by giving up or selling something at less than its value

7. chess the act or an instance of sacrificing a piece

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verb

1. to make a sacrifice (of); give up, surrender, or destroy (a person, thing, etc)

2. chess to permit or force one's opponent to capture (a piece) freely, as in playing a combination or gambit

   he sacrificed his queen and checkmated his opponent on the next move

Usage

What does sacrifice mean? A sacrifice is something important or precious that is given up for the sake of gaining something or allowing something to happen that is considered more important, as in I had to work hard and make a lot of sacrifices to achieve success. The word can also refer to the habitual act of giving things up in this way, as in Achieving success requires hard work and sacrifice. Sacrifice can also be used as a verb meaning to give something up in this way, as in I had to work hard and sacrifice to achieve success. Sometimes, the word is used in situations involving surrendering something to prevent something bad from happening, as in She sacrificed herself to save us. In all of these cases, the thing being sacrificed can be tangible, like a valued object, or intangible, like time or health, as in, I would never sacrifice my health just to make more money. The word sacrifice is often used in the context of religion to refer to an offering or to the act of offering something to the god or gods being worshipped. Such a sacrifice might be an animal that is killed. The central figure of Christianity, Jesus, is viewed by Christians as having been a sacrifice for the sake of human salvation. The adjective sacrificial is used to describe things that involve or are given as sacrifices. Example: There is simply not enough money in the budget, so we’re all going to have to make sacrifices and give up some things that we’re used to having.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsacrifice
  noun
• presacrifice
  noun
• sacrificer
  noun
• supersacrifice
  noun
• nonsacrificing
  adjective
• sacrificeable
  adjective
• unsacrificeable
  adjective
• unsacrificed
  adjective
• unsacrificing
  adjective
• well-sacrificed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sacrifices
  plural

Participles

• sacrificing
  present
• sacrificed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sacrifice
  simple
• sacrifices
  simple
• have sacrificed
  perfect
• has sacrificed
  perfect
• am sacrificing
  progressive
• are sacrificing
  progressive
• is sacrificing
  progressive
• have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive
• has been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sacrificed
  simple
• had sacrificed
  perfect
• was sacrificing
  progressive
• were sacrificing
  progressive
• had been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sacrifice
  simple
• will have sacrificed
  perfect
• will be sacrificing
  progressive
• will have been sacrificing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of sacrifice

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English sacrifice, sacrifis(e), from Old French sacrefise, sacrefice, from Latin sacrificium “offering made to a deity, sacrifice,” equivalent to sacri- (combining form of sacer “holy, sacred”) + -fic-, combining form of facere “to make, build, construct” + -ium noun suffix; see origin at do ¹; see also -ium ( def. )

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Explanation

A sacrifice is a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. Parents sacrifice time and sleep to take care of their children, while kids might sacrifice TV time to hang out with mom and dad. Though no longer used only in a religious context, sacrifice comes from the Latin sacra and facere, meaning "to perform sacred rites." If you've studied ancient cultures like the Incas, you've probably heard of "human sacrifice," where a person is killed in a sacred ceremony to please the gods. But thankfully those kinds of sacrifices don't happen anymore.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sacrifice sacrifices sacrificed sacrificing

"Dear fathers and grandfathers... treat your wives with respect, ask for forgiveness and live with integrity, even when doing so requires sacrifice," the head of the Catholic Church said during a homily in Uruguay.

From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026

In the end, their sacrifice may have been the only thing that prevented a wipeout of the whole delegation.

From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2026

In a Times profile on Skipp Townsend, Bennett, a onetime Rollin’ 60s member, said: “He is a Blood. He’s going into Crip neighborhood. There’s no more bigger sacrifice than that.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

“The feeling is very clearly that all fiscal sacrifice should be borne by someone else—the rich, foreigners, immigrants, the Defense Department.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

Now, for a squirrel to sacrifice even a single acorn in autumn is a profound act of generosity, as Penelope well knew.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Citizens serving under arms and the millions of family members standing behind them cast aside small differences, made giant personal sacrifices, and worked together to ensure the country’s survival.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

King Durin III sacrifices himself to a fiery monster in the Season 2 finale of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

"We are not afraid. We have strength, we have courage, and we are willing to make sacrifices," Prabowo said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

In 2012, researchers uncovered the first undisturbed elite Wari tomb, containing the remains of 58 high-status women, six human sacrifices, and approximately 1,300 artifacts.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

At first I had deeply resented being left out, especially since all of us were making huge sacrifices that would benefit everyone in the future.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals

LuxExperience sacrificed casual buyers looking for deals to target shoppers who spend tens of thousands of dollars on clothes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

She says she honored him by caring for him and that I’m discounting everything she sacrificed.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Cerutti, whose farm is an EU-certified protected area, is looking to compensate the lost earnings from the sacrificed paddies by hosting schools and academics, and offering guest accommodation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

The Sassuolo striker was sacrificed just over 10 minutes into his first Scotland start to make space for Welsh in defence.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

“If we’re committed,” I said, as evenly as I could muster, “why wouldn’t we formalize that commitment? What part of your dignity would be sacrificed by that?”

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

To beat the luxury shopping slowdown, e-commerce company LuxExperience is sacrificing casual buyers and chasing the superrich.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

A single mum has said following government advice to stock up on emergency supplies would mean sacrificing her childcare budget for the school holidays.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

MarketWatch columnist Aditi Shrikant explains how a tighter budget, automatic payments and unexpected cash windfalls can shrink your balance without sacrificing your financial safety net.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

As such, a close-to-home comfort infuses “Fudge” with real tenderness without sacrificing any of Kiwanuka’s signature sonic luxuriance.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

That the Party was the eternal guardian of the weak, a dedicated sect doing evil that good might come, sacrificing its own happiness to that of others.

From "1984" by George Orwell

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