sacrificial animal
Altar-bound creature
A sacrificial animal is one killed as an offering to a deity or supernatural force.
The practice appears across religions and cultures—lambs in ancient Judaism, goats in Greek ritual, cattle in Hindu ceremonies.
The animal's death is believed to appease, honor, or communicate with divine powers.
Figuratively, someone treated as a sacrificial animal is destroyed to serve others' purposes.
- offeringSomething presented or given
- burnt offeringSacrifice consumed by flames
- lambJuvenile sheep
- altarSacred ritual table
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
blood · slaughter · ritual slaughter · goat · bull · fatted calf · burnt · sacred · holy ground · temple · priest · high priest · atonement · sin offering · peace offering · victim · rite · scapegoat
- Vedic ritualssacred fire, fire ritual, oblation, sacred vessel, libations
sacrificial animalpet
Domesticated household companion
companion animal · working animal · service animal · guard dog · family pet
sacrificial animalprotected species
Organisms legally shielded from harm
sacrifice, sacrificial, sacrificially, sacrifices, sacrificed, sacrificing, animal, animals, animate