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chrism

American  
[kriz-uhm] / ˈkrɪz əm /

noun

  1. a consecrated oil, usually mixed with balsam or balsam and spices, used by certainchurches in various rites, as in baptism, confirmation, and the like.


chrism British  
/ ˈkrɪzməl, ˈkrɪzəm /

noun

  1. a mixture of olive oil and balsam used for sacramental anointing in the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of chrism

before 900; learned respelling of Middle English crisme, Old English crisma < Latin chrīsma < Greek chrîsma unguent, unction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It is the manutergium, the cloth the new priest uses to wipe the sacred chrism oil from his now-anointed hands.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

The "chrism oil" for the coronation was consecrated in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem on Friday.

From BBC Mar. 3, 2023

A Japanese-led mission, XRISM, pronounced chrism, could launch earlier in the year as well.

From New York Times Jan. 3, 2023

“We don’t believe chrism oil was taken from the church and used to adulterate this statue,” Winder said.

From Washington Post Jul. 18, 2018

Taking the chrism on his fingertips, he anointed me, marking the sign of the Cross on the required places, first my forehead, then eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast, hands, and feet.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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