affusion

American  

[uh-fyoo-zhuhn] / əˈfyu ʒən /

noun

1. the pouring on of water or other liquid, as in the rite of baptism.

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affusion British  

/ əˈfjuːʒən /

noun

1. the baptizing of a person by pouring water onto his head Compare aspersion immersion

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superaffusion
  noun

Etymology

Origin of affusion

1605–15; < Late Latin affūsiōn- (stem of affūsiō a pouring upon), equivalent to affūs ( us ) (past participle of affundere; see af-, fuse ²) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The Catholic Church, on the other hand, practices baptism via affusion, or water poured over the head, a tradition that proved handy over the years in places that had little access to bodies of water.

From Slate • Dec. 1, 2015

There can be little doubt that affusion was practiced instead of immersion, at the discretion of the Priest, in ancient as well as in modern times.

From The American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia by Miller, William James

After a considerable time affusion, or sprinkling, returned, and became the prevailing mode, without any special enactment, or any formal renunciation of the late mode.

From Bertha and Her Baptism by Adams, Nehemiah

Treatment.—Exposure to pure air, cold affusion, artificial respiration, galvanism.

From Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by Robertson, W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison )

In the interval cold affusion was resorted to by the attendant in charge, but the patient was to all appearances dead.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885 by Various