the sacrificial slaughter of a bull practised in Rome from the 2nd century ad for the worship of the Great Mother of the Gods
taurobolium in American English
(ˌtɔrəˈbouliəm)
nounWord forms: plural-lia (-liə)
1.
the sacrifice of a bull, followed by the baptism of neophytes in the blood, as practiced in the ancient rites of Mithras or Cybele
2. Fine Arts
a representation of the killing of a bull, as in Mithraic art
Word origin
[1690–1700; ‹ LL ‹ Gk taurobólion, equiv. to tauroból(os) bull sacrifice (taûro(s) bull + bólos a cast, throw, akin to bole᷄ a wound, bállein to throw) + -ion dim. suffix]This word is first recorded in the period 1690–1700. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: catamaran, cocoon, freshen, smash, synthetic