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.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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]
WordNet (r) 2.0
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
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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."
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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."
THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993)
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