Unction

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Unction \Unc"tion\, n. [OE. unccioun, uncioun, OF. oncion,
     onction, F. onction, fr. L. unctio, fr. ungere, unctum, to
     anoint. See {Unguent}.]
     1. The act of anointing, smearing, or rubbing with an
        unguent, oil, or ointment, especially for medical
        purposes, or as a symbol of consecration; as, mercurial


        unction.
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              To be heir, and to be king
              By sacred unction, thy deserved right. --Milton.
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     2. That which is used for anointing; an unguent; an ointment;
        hence, anything soothing or lenitive.
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              The king himself the sacred unction made. --Dryden.
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              Lay not that flattering unction to your soul.
                                                    --Shak.
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     3. Divine or sanctifying grace. [R.]
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     4. That quality in language, address, or the like, which
        excites emotion; especially, strong devotion; religious
        fervor and tenderness; sometimes, a simulated, factitious,
        or unnatural fervor.
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              The delightful equivoque and unction of the passage
              in Farquhar.                          --Hazlitt.
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              The mention of thy glory
              Is unction to the breast.             --Neale
                                                    (Rhythm of St.
                                                    Bernard).
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     {Extreme unction} (R. C. Ch. & Gr. Ch.), the sacrament of
        anointing in the last hours; the application of
        consecrated oil by a priest to all the senses, that is, to
        eyes, ears, nostrils, etc., of a person when in danger of
        death from illness, -- done for remission of sins. [James
        v. 14, 15.]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  unction
       n 1: excessive but superficial compliments given with affected
            charm [syn: {smarm}, {fulsomeness}]
       2: smug self-serving earnestness [syn: {fulsomeness}, {oiliness},
           {oleaginousness}, {smarminess}, {unctuousness}]
       3: semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine)
          applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an
          irritation [syn: {ointment}, {unguent}, {balm}, {salve}]
       4: anointing as part of a religious ceremony or healing ritual
          [syn: {inunction}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  79 Moby Thesaurus words for "unction":
     Tartuffery, Tartuffism, affectation, anointment, balm, balsam,
     brilliantine, cant, cerate, chrism, chrismal, chrismation,
     chrismatory, chrisom, cold cream, collyrium, cream, demulcent,
     embrocation, emollient, extreme unction, eye-lotion, eyewash,
     eyewater, face cream, false piety, falseness, flattering tongue,
     goody-goodiness, greasing, gush, hand lotion, hypocrisy,
     insincerity, inunction, inunctum, lanolin, last rites, lenitive,
     liniment, lotion, lubricating, lubrication, lubrification,
     mealymouthedness, mummery, nard, oil, oiliness, oiling, ointment,
     pharisaicalness, pharisaism, pietism, pietisticalness, piety,
     piousness, pomade, pomatum, religionism, religiosity,
     sacramental anointment, sacred unction, salve, sanctimoniousness,
     sanctimony, self-righteousness, slobber, smarm, snivel, snuffle,
     soothing syrup, spikenard, that flattering unction, unctuousness,
     unguent, unguentum, viaticum, vulnerary
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Unction
     (1 John 2:20,27; R.V., "anointing"). Kings, prophets, and
     priests were anointed, in token of receiving divine grace. All
     believers are, in a secondary sense, what Christ was in a
     primary sense, "the Lord's anointed."
     

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  UNCTION, n.  An oiling, or greasing.  The rite of extreme unction
  consists in touching with oil consecrated by a bishop several parts of
  the body of one engaged in dying.  Marbury relates that after the rite
  had been administered to a certain wicked English nobleman it was
  discovered that the oil had not been properly consecrated and no other
  could be obtained.  When informed of this the sick man said in anger: 
  "Then I'll be damned if I die!"
      "My son," said the priest, "this is what we fear."