sb. Also 5 vyctym, 6–7 victime. [ad. L. victima (in senses 1, 2). So F. victime (16th c.), Sp. and Pg. victima, It. vittima. The Rhemish translators of the Bible were the first to make free use of the word as English, and its general currency dates only from the latter part of the 17th century.]
1. A living creature killed and offered as a sacrifice to some deity or supernatural power.
1497. Bp. Alcock, Mons Perfect., C iij/2. Obedyence excellith al vyctyms [printed vyayms] and holocaustis in the whiche was sacrefyced ye flesshe of other creatures.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Mark ix. 49. Euery victime shal be salted with salt. Ibid., Acts vii. 42. Did you offer victims and hostes vnto me?
1609. Bible (Douay), Lev. i. 2 [etc.]. The man of you, that shal offer an hoste to our Lord, of beastes, that is of oxen & sheepe, offering victimes if his oblation be an holocauste.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, I. vi. 33. Of sacrificing there were from the beginning two kinds, the one called Gifts or oblations of things without life: the other Victims (so our Rhemists have taught us to English the word Victima) slaine sacrifices of birds and beasts.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Victime, a sacrifice, a beast offered in sacrifice. [Also in Cockeram, Blount, etc.]
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 784. Select four Brawny Bulls for Sacrifice,… From the slain Victims pour the streaming Blood.
1705. Addison, Italy, 3. Ulysses here the Blood of Victims shed, And rais’d the pale Assembly of the Dead.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Sacrifice, The Priest … then took Wine in a Vessel … and … poured it between the Horns of the Victim.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), I. 202. The Mexicans used human victims.
1840. Thirlwall, Greece, VII. lv. 105. He had inquired of Peithagoras as to the nature of the tokens which he had seen in the victims.
1867. Tennyson, Victim, v. But the Priest was happy, His victim won. Ibid., vi. The rites prepared, the victim bared.
fig. 1646. Crashaw, Carmen Deo Nostro, Hymn. Thou art love’s victime, & must dy A death more mysticall & high.
1656. Cowley, Pindar. Odes, Isaiah xxxiv. ii. The Altar all the Land, and all Men in’t the Victims are.
1732. Lediard, Sethos, II. x. 374. These 20,000 men were a victim to save the rest of their nation.
1772. Junius Lett., lxix. (1788), 367. I have bound the victim, and dragged him to the altar.
1818. Shelley, Julian, 376. The red scaffold … May ask some willing victim.
1847. Tennyson, Princ., IV. 112. Knaves are men, That … dress the victim to the offering up.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, IV. (1868), 50. I am accursed, devoted as a victim to the sea-gods.
b. Applied to Christ as an offering for mankind.
1736. Butler, Analogy, II. v. ¶ 6. [Jesus Christ] is described … in the Old Testament, under the same characters of a priest, and an expiatory victim.
1745. W. Robertson, in Transl. & Paraphr. (Sc. Ch.), vi. 8. All Heaven’s Wrath tho’ due to us On him, our Victim, lay.
a. 1833. J. Dick, Lect. Theol. (1834), III. lviii. 119. In the other [case], it was a man, the Son of the living God, who was the victim.
c. 1865. W. C. Dix, Hymn, ‘Alleluia, sing to Jesus.’ Thou on earth both Priest and Victim.
1870. H. Martin, Atonement, iv. 74. They evidently concentrate attention … on that aspect in which Christ appears as the piacular victim, or the Lamb of Sacrifice.
2. A person who is put to death or subjected to torture by another; one who suffers severely in body or property through cruel or oppressive treatment.
1660. R. Coke, Justice Vind., Ep. Ded. 5. I designe no more than to demonstrate, that it was … the iniquity of the times which made him [Charles I.] a victim, and your sacred Self an Exile.
1691. trans. Emilianne’s Frauds Rom. Monks (ed. 3), 61. The great Provost … was one of the number of these unhappy Victims.
1783. Crabbe, Village, I. 283. A potent quack, long versed in human ills, Who first insults the victim whom he kills.
1785. Burke, Sp. Nawab Arcot’s Debts, Wks. 1882, I. 331. Among the victims to this magnificent plan of universal plunder … you have all heard … of an Indian Chief called Hyder Ali Khan.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 32. If he had not died the victim of a tyrant.
1854. Cdl. Wiseman, Fabiola, II. xxii. 263. The hostile passions of heathen Rome … excited by the coming slaughter of so many christian victims.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xviii. 169. The list of his possessions, lands of Earl Harold, of the Sheriff Mœrleswegen, and of a crowd of smaller victims, is simply endless.
b. One who is reduced or destined to suffer under some oppressive or destructive agency.
1718. Prior, Solomon, III. 170. Behold where Age’s wretched Victim lies: See his Head trembling, and his half-clos’d Eyes.
1742. Gray, Prosp. Eton Coll., 52. Alas! regardless of their doom The little victims play!
1799. Monthly Rev., XXX. 539. This new poet … is M. Esmenard,… at present a victim of the persecution which has followed that event.
1827. Scott, Highl. Widow, v. About the centre of the procession … came the unfortunate victim of military law.
1865. Visct. Milton & W. B. Cheadle, Northwest Passage by Land, viii. (1867), 124. We … even went to the length of fixing upon one useless, toothless old fellow [sc. a dog] as a victim to our appetites, in case of extremity.
1890. C. B. Pitman, trans. Boscowitz’s Earthquakes, 211. The houses which had only partially fallen in continued to collapse and make fresh victims.
c. One who perishes or suffers in health, etc., from some enterprise or pursuit voluntarily undertaken.
1726–46. Thomson, Winter, 487. The last of old Lycurgus’ sons, The generous victim to that vain attempt to save a rotten state.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 259. Frauenhofer died … at an early age; a victim, it is said, to unremitting attention bestowed upon an unhealthy employment.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Montaigne, Wks. (Bohn), I. 338. The studious class are their own victims.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xxxi. 271. While here he narrowly escaped becoming a seventh royal victim to the Crusade.
d. In weaker sense: One who suffers some injury, hardship, or loss, is badly treated or taken advantage of, etc.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxvii. (1787), III. 23. Gregory soon became the victim of malice and envy.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 342. That spirit of intolerance … of which they are the victims.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 42. Several individuals … are to a very great extent the victims at least, if not the dupes, of scheming managers.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xx. He went off … without further ceremony, and left his respected victim to settle the bill.
1875. Abp. Benson, in A. C. Benson, Life (1899), I. xi. 393. I am that miserable man the Victim in Residence, and there is a Cathedral Festival to-day.
3. In the phrase to fall a victim to (some thing or person), in preceding senses.
1764. H. Walpole, Otranto, i. Manfred will suspect you,… and you will fall a victim to his resentment.
1769. Robertson, Chas, V., IV. Wks. 1813, V. 411. Some officers, who rashly attempted to restrain them, fell victims to their fury.
1803. Ellicott, Jrnl., 13. Many of the inhabitants that season fell victims to the yellow fever.
1861. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 46. The Flemish and other foreign residents fell helpless victims to the rage of the populace.
1884. Times (weekly ed.), 5 Sept., 17/2. It appeared as if he had fallen a victim to an assassin. Ibid., 19 Sept., 6/4. He fell a victim to goodness of heart and to the interest he felt in his people.
4. attrib. (chiefly appositive) and Comb., as victim beast, carrion, -flock, horde, -lamb, ox; victim-laden adj.; victim-ship, a ship carrying victims.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 733. The Victim Ox, that was for Altars prest,… Sunk of Himself. Ibid. (1697), Æneid, IV. 293. Blood of victim beasts enriched the ground.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIII. 27. A victim Ox beneath the sacred hand Of great Alcinous falls.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxxxix. The Battle-field, where Persia’s victim horde First bow’d beneath the brunt of Hellas’ sword.
1835. Thirlwall, Greece, I. v. 133. Deceived by the black sail of the victim-ship, which Theseus had forgotten to exchange.
1843. Cdl. Wiseman, Ess., Minor Rites (1853), I. 491. There is one altar … on which the same Victim-Lamb reposes.
a. 1847. Eliza Cook, Thanksgiving, iv. I could not sue for mercy at a victim-laden shrine.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., II. 660. The tyrant should take heed to what he doth, Since every victim-carrion turns to use.
1868. J. H. Newman, Verses Var. Occasions, 171. I cleanse Thy victim-flock, and bring them near In holiest wise.
Hence Victim v. trans., to slay in sacrifice.
1671. Crowne, Juliana, I. 11. Barbarous Idol, not content with blood, But must have kingdoms victim’d at thy altars! Ibid. (1694), Married Beau, IV. 54. I’ll rather victim A hecatomb of such as thou to her.
