immolate

immolated; immolating; immolates

Immolate is a verb that means to destroy something or someone, usually using fire, as a sacrifice to a higher cause. Do not try this at home.

To protest the Vietnam War, some Buddhist monks would pour gasoline on their body, light a match, and immolate themselves, hoping that their fiery death would bring attention to the horror of war. The word comes from the Latin immolare, which means “sprinkled with sacrificial meal,” in reference to rituals where wheat grain would be sprinkled on the heads of human sacrifices. Immolation is a powerful statement, but talking it out is always a safer and less depressing option.