anoint
to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to.
to smear with any liquid.
to consecrate or make sacred in a ceremony that includes the token applying of oil: He anointed the new high priest.
to dedicate to the service of God.
to select for an honor, a particular role or office, etc.: After today’s interview, it looks like he will soon be anointed as head of the new Special Projects division.The headline read, “Dictionary.com anoints ‘allyship’ Word of the Year for 2021.”
Origin of anoint
1Other words from anoint
- a·noint·er, noun
- a·noint·ment, noun
- re·a·noint, verb (used with object)
- re·a·noint·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use anoint in a sentence
Every other Democratic contender since 1968 has yearned for the Kennedy anointment as The Next One.
The anointment of the body with oils was one of the characteristics of a Roman bath.
History of Sanitation | John Joseph CosgroveIn the tenth year of his anointment, the beloved King Piyadasi obtained the Sambodhi or complete knowledge.
The Influence of Buddhism on Primitive Christianity | Arthur LillieThe ceremony of a royal coronation and anointment was not in those days regarded as a mere costly formality.
These difficulties thus removed, the anointment of Henry IV.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times | Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
But one other thing, more important than the anointment at Chartres, was wanting.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times | Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
British Dictionary definitions for anoint
/ (əˈnɔɪnt) /
to smear or rub over with oil or an oily liquid
to apply oil to as a sign of consecration or sanctification in a sacred rite
Origin of anoint
1Derived forms of anoint
- anointer, noun
- anointment, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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