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

• 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

Affusion, af-fū′zhun, n. the act of pouring upon or sprinkling.—Baptism by affusion is effected by the pouring of water on the subject, as distinct from baptism by dipping, or baptism by sprinkling.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

In the form of the cold affusion it is now rarely resorted to, although Currie31 obtained most excellent results with it.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

Cases, which at first were exceptional, gradually multiplied, so that, at length, the ordinary mode of baptism was by affusion.

From To Infidelity and Back by Lutz, Henry F. (Henry Frey)

Treatment.—Stomach-tube and free lavage; cold affusion; drawing forward tongue; artificial respiration; galvanism and suspension with head downward.

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