Anoint
/əˈnɔɪnt/noun
To apply oil or another liquid to someone or something, especially as part of a religious ceremony.
Did you know?Anoint comes through Old French from Latin *inungēre*, literally “to smear on,” and its sacred use became so important that it helped turn a simple bodily action into a ritual of divine authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*hengʷ-
“to smear, anoint”
Latin
Latin
unguere
“to smear, grease, anoint”
Latin
Latin
inunguere
“to smear on, anoint”
Old French
Old French
enoindre / enoindre
“to anoint”
Middle English
English
anoynten
“to anoint, consecrate with oil”
Modern English
English
anoint
“to apply oil ceremonially or mark someone as chosen or consecrated”