martyrology

• Mart. (specific editions)

martyr +‎ -ology or from Latin martyrologium.

martyrology (plural martyrologies)

1. The study of martyrs and martyrdom; the names and stories of martyrs, particularly
   • 21 March 2016, Janet L. Nelson, "The Franks, the Martyrology of Usuard, and the Martyrs of Cordoba", Studies in Church History, Vol. 30: Martyrs and Martyrologies, pp. 67–80:

     It needs further study for what it suggests of the gender dimension to martyrdom and martyrology.

   1. (Roman Catholicism, often capitalized) A liturgical calendar of days for the commemoration of formally recognized saints, usually including some biographical notes.
      • 1883, Alessio Aurelio Pelliccia, The Polity of the Christian Church..., p. 311:

        ... we know that Augustine, a monk in the time of Gregory the Great, took with him into England the martyrology of the Roman Church.

   2. (Roman Catholicism) Synonym of hagiography, a story of a saint's life and death.
   3. (Judaism, often capitalized) Synonym of Eleh Ezkerah, a midrash concerning the Ten Martyrs killed by the Romans, usually read on both Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av.

The typical Roman Catholic usage is inclusive of all saints and covers confessors, virgins, and other canonized people in addition to martyrs.

• (Roman Catholicism): martyrologue; synaxarium, synaxarion, menologium, menologion, menology, menologe (chiefly Eastern Orthodox contexts)