martyr
nounOne who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.
nounOne who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.
nounOne who endures great suffering.
nounOne who makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy.
transitive verbTo make a martyr of, especially to put to death for devotion to religious beliefs.
transitive verbTo inflict great pain on; torment.
To put to death as a punishment for adherence to some religious belief, especially for adherence to Christianity; hence, to put to death for the maintaining of any obnoxious belief or cause.
To put to death for any cause; destroy, as in revenge or retaliation; torture.
To persecute as a martyr; afflict; despoil; torment.