protomartyr
Americannoun
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the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen.
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the first martyr in any cause.
noun
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St Stephen as the first Christian martyr
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the first martyr to lay down his life in any cause
Etymology
Origin of protomartyr
1400–50; late Middle English prothomartyr < Late Latin prōtomartyr < Late Greek prōtómartys. See proto-, martyr
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The largest relic in England of the protomartyr is his thigh, preserved at St Michael's Benedictine Abbey, in Farnborough, Hampshire.
From BBC ● May 28, 2016
Among the Aryans of India, as we have already seen, Death has a protomartyr, Tama, ‘the first of men who reached the river, spying out a path for many.’
From Modern Mythology by Andrew Lang
St. Alban's was founded, as its name implies, in honor of the English protomartyr, whose bones were said to have been discovered on that interesting site, and afterwards preserved with veneration in the abbey.
From Bibliomania in the Middle Ages by Frederick Somner Merryweather
The sacrifice of the protomartyr brought its fruits.
From England, Picturesque and Descriptive A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel by Joel Cook
No historical pilgrimage to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Sanctuary of its protomartyr and the burial-place of its kings.
From The Story of Paris by Katherine Kimball
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