Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To apply oil, ointment, or a similar substance to.
  • transitive verb To put oil on during a religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration.
  • transitive verb To choose by or as if by divine intervention.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pour oil upon; smear or rub over with oil or any unctuous substance; hence, to smear with any liquid.
  • To consecrate, especially a king, priest, or prophet, by unction, or the use of oil.
  • To serve as an ointment for; lubricate.
  • Obsolete past participle of anoint.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.
  • transitive verb To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration.
  • transitive verb Christ or the Messiah; also, a Jewish or other king by “divine right.”
  • past participle obsolete Anointed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil.
  • verb transitive To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb administer an oil or ointment to ; often in a religious ceremony of blessing
  • verb choose by or as if by divine intervention

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English enointen, from Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inunguere, inūnct- : in-, on; see in– + unguere, to smear.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inungere, in + ungere or unguere ("to smear", "to anoint"). See ointment, unguent.

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Examples

Comments

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  • obs. variant enhuile; pretty cute

    September 28, 2010