sacrlegious - {n.} A person or thing that is never criticized, laughed at, or insulted even if it deserves such treatment. * /Motherhood is a sacred cow to most politicians./ * /The bold young governor had no respect for the state's sacred cows./ * /Television respects too many sacred cows./

sacrlegious - {n.} A baseball hit high in the air that helps a runner score after it is caught. * /Mantle drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly./

sacrlegious - pl. of SACRUM.

sacrlegious - adj.
1 Anat. of or relating to the sacrum.
2 Anthropol. of or for sacred rites. [E or L sacrum: see SACRUM]

sacrlegious - n.
1 a religious ceremony or act of the Christian Churches regarded as an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace: applied by the Eastern, pre-Reformation Western, and Roman Catholic Churches to the seven rites of baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and matrimony, but restricted by most Protestants to baptism and the Eucharist.
2 a thing of mysterious and sacred significance; a sacred influence, symbol, etc.
3 (also Blessed or Holy Sacrament) (prec. by the) a the Eucharist. b the consecrated elements, esp. the bread or Host.
4 an oath or solemn engagement taken. [ME f. OF sacrement f. L sacramentum solemn oath etc. f. sacrare hallow f. sacer SACRED, used in Christian L as transl. of Gk musterion MYSTERY(1)]

sacrlegious - adj. & n.
--adj.

1 of or of the nature of a sacrament or the sacrament.
2 (of a doctrine etc.) attaching great importance to the sacraments.

--n.

an observance analogous to but not reckoned among the sacraments, e.g. the use of holy water or the sign of the cross.

sacramentalism n. sacramentalist n. sacramentality n. sacramentally adv. [ME f. F sacramental or LL sacramentalis (as SACRAMENT)]