immolate

Definitions

im- (on) + mola (the salted sacrificial meal, mola salsa) + -ate (verb). Romans sprinkled this ground sacred grain on a victim before killing it, so immolate first meant 'to sprinkle the sacred meal on,' i.e. to consecrate for sacrifice. The sprinkling dropped away; only the killing remained. (Here im- is the 'on/upon' sense, not the negative im-.)

Why It Means This

immolate hides a vanished ritual. mola salsa was the salted, ground grain Romans sprinkled on a sacrificial victim — so the word's first meaning was 'to sprinkle with sacred meal,' the act that marked an animal for sacrifice. The sprinkling sense was forgotten and the violent core took over. Today it appears most often as self-immolation: an act of protest by setting oneself on fire.

Common Collocations

• 1.immolate oneself自焚
• 2.self-immolation自我献祭

Example Sentences

• 1.

  In ancient rites, priests would immolate animals on the altar.

• 2.

  The monk immolated himself in protest against the war.

• 3.

  Several activists threatened to immolate themselves outside the embassy.