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ritual murder

American  

noun

  1. a human sacrifice made to appease a deity.


Etymology

Origin of ritual murder

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

There is an essay on the West Memphis Three, who were wrongfully imprisoned in the 1990s for the supposed ritual murder of three young boys.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2014

To prove the charge of ritual murder, the prosecution had to produce witnesses and expert testimony.

From Slate • Oct. 8, 2013

In 1905, pilgrims carrying everything on their backs had assembled it near a declivity used for Christian worship since about the 11th century, and possibly for ritual murder long before that.

From Washington Post

Apion had invented a detailed story of ritual murder to justify Antiochus Epiphanes for his spoliation of the Temple.

From Josephus by Bentwich, Norman

Among the many services which he has rendered to humanity, let us first mention his brilliant defence of the half-savage Votiaks, accused of ritual murder in the famous Malmige case.

From Contemporary Russian Novelists by Persky, Serge

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