SACRAMENT
sacrament
(noun) a formal religious ceremony conferring a specific grace on those who receive it; the two Protestant ceremonies are baptism and the Lord’s Supper; in the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church there are seven traditional rites accepted as instituted by Jesus: baptism and confirmation and Holy Eucharist and penance and holy orders and matrimony and extreme unction
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
sacrament (plural sacraments)
(Christianity) A sacred act or ceremony in Christianity. In Catholic theology, a sacrament is defined as "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace."
(in particular) The Eucharist.
The consecrated Eucharist (especially the bread).
A thing which is regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.
The oath of allegiance taken by soldiers in Ancient Rome; hence, any sacred ceremony used to impress an obligation; a solemn oath-taking; an oath.
Verb
sacrament (third-person singular simple present sacraments, present participle sacramenting, simple past and past participle sacramented)
(transitive) To bind by an oath.
Source: Wiktionary
Sac"ra*ment, n. Etym: [L. sacramentum an oath, a sacred thing, a
mystery, a sacrament, fr. sacrare to declare as sacred, sacer sacred:
cf. F. sacrament. See Sacred.]
1. The oath of allegiance taken by Roman soldiers; hence, a sacred
ceremony used to impress an obligation; a solemn oath-taking; an
oath. [Obs.]
I'll take the sacrament on't. Shak.
2. The pledge or token of an oath or solemn cobenant; a sacred thing;
a mystery. [Obs.]
God sometimes sent a light of fire, and pillar of a cloud . . . and
the sacrament of a rainbow, to guide his people through their portion
of sorrows. Jer. Taylor.
3. (Theol.)
Definition: One of the solemn religious ordinances enjoined by Christ, the
head of the Christian church, to be observed by his followers; hence,
specifically, the eucharist; the Lord's Supper.
Syn.
– Sacrament, Eucharist.
– Protestants apply the term sacrament to baptism and the Lord's
Supper, especially the latter. The R. Cath. and Greek churches have
five other sacraments, viz., confirmation, penance, holy orders,
matrimony, and extreme unction. As sacrament denotes an oath or vow,
the word has been applied by way of emphasis to the Lord's Supper,
where the most sacred vows are renewed by the Christian in
commemorating the death of his Redeemer. Eucharist denotes the giving
of thanks; and this term also has been applied to the same ordinance,
as expressing the grateful remembrance of Christ's sufferings and
death. "Some receive the sacrament as a means to procure great graces
and blessings; others as an eucharist and an office of thanksgiving
for what they have received." Jer. Taylor.
Sac"ra*ment, v. t.
Definition: To bind by an oath. [Obs.] Laud.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition