anoint
English
Alternative forms
- annoint (nonstandard)
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inungere, from in + ungere, unguere (“to smear; to anoint”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“anoint”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /əˈnɔɪnt/
- Rhymes: -ɔɪnt
Verb
anoint (third-person singular simple present anoints, present participle anointing, simple past and past participle anointed)
- (transitive) To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.
- And fragrant oils the stiffened limbs anoint. —Dryden.
- He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. —John ix. 6.
- (transitive) To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration.
- Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his [Aaron's] head and anoint him. —Exod. xxix. 7.
- Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. —1 Kings xix. 15.
- (transitive, figuratively) To choose or nominate somebody for a leading or otherwise important position, especially formally or officially, or as an intended successor.
- (transitive, historical) To mark somebody as an official ruler, especially a king or queen, as a part of a religious ceremony.
Synonyms
- salve
Derived terms
- Anointing of the Sick
- the Lord's Anointed
Related terms
- inunction
- ointment
- unguent
Translations
to smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance
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to apply oil to or to pour oil upon
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Further reading
- anoint in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- anoint in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- anoint at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams
- Tonian, nation