anoint

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anoint

Alternative forms

annoint (nonstandard)

Etymology

From Middle English enointen, anointen, borrowed from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre (“to anoint”). Doublet of inunct.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /əˈnɔɪnt/
- Audio (Southern England): (file)
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.
Synonyms: salve, pomade, pomate, pomatum (obsolete or historical)
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 9:6:
  He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
- 1697, Virgil, “The Sixth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 371, line 315:
  And Fragrant Oils the ſtiffen'd Limbs anoint.
(transitive) To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration.
Synonym: salve
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 29:7:
  Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his [Aaron's] head and anoint him.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 19:15:
  Anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
(transitive, figuratively) To choose or nominate somebody for a leading or otherwise important position, especially formally or officially, or as an intended successor.
- 2024 March 16, Antonia Cundy, “The Opus Dei diaries”, in FT Weekend, page 18:
  Unlike other previous Prelates, who were swiftly anointed bishops, Francis did not follow suit. Ocáriz remained a Monsignor. In the eyes of many observers, it was a demotion of Opus Dei.
(transitive, historical) To mark somebody as an official ruler, especially a king or queen, as a part of a religious ceremony.

Derived terms

Translations

to smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance

Armenian: օծել (hy) (ōcel)
Bulgarian: намазвам (bg) (namazvam), смазвам (bg) (smazvam)
Catalan: ungir (ca)
Chinese:
Czech: pomazat (cs) pf
Dalmatian: jongar
Danish: salve (da)
Dutch: zalven (nl)
Egyptian:

(gs)
Finnish: voidella (fi)
French: oindre (fr), enduire (fr), étaler (fr), étendre (fr)
Galician: unxir (gl), untar (gl)
German: ölen (de), schmieren (de), einreiben (de)
Gothic: 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌱𐍉𐌽 (salbōn)
Greek: χρίω (el) (chrío), μυρώνω (el) (myróno), επαλείφω (el) (epaleífo)
Ancient: χρίω (khríō)
Hebrew: מָשַׁח (he) (masháẖ)
Hungarian: felken (hu)
Icelandic: smyrja
Irish: ung
Italian: ungere (it)
Ladin: onjer, onje
Latin: ungō
Lombard: vong (lmo)
Mandarin: 塗油於 / 涂油于, 涂油于 (túyóuyú)
Maori: pōrae
Nahuatl: ohza
Occitan: ónher (oc)
Persian: اندودن (fa) (andudan)
Portuguese: ungir (pt), untar (pt), olear (pt)
Quechua: hawiy
Russian: сма́зывать (ru) impf (smázyvatʹ), сма́зать (ru) pf (smázatʹ)
Sanskrit: लिम्पति (limpati), अनक्ति (anakti)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: на̀мазати pf

Roman: nàmazati (sh) pf
Spanish: ungir (es)
Swedish: smörja (sv)
Tagalog: maghimo, himuan
Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎌𐎈 (mšḥ)
Ukrainian: мазати (mazaty), змазувати (zmazuvaty)