Chrism
//ˈkɹɪz(ə)m// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mixture of oil and balm, consecrated for use as an anointing fluid in certain Christian ceremonies, especially confirmation. countable, uncountable
"A reinforcement of fresh troops staggered in, one man soaked and dripping, his hair sticky with the chrism of poured beer, another with his pockets crammed with sauce-bottles."
- 2 a consecrated ointment consisting of a mixture of oil and balsam wordnet
Example
More examples"A reinforcement of fresh troops staggered in, one man soaked and dripping, his hair sticky with the chrism of poured beer, another with his pockets crammed with sauce-bottles."
Etymology
From Middle English crisme, from Late Old English crisma, from Medieval Latin crisma, from Ecclesiastical Latin chrisma, from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα (khrîsma, “anointing”, “unction”), from χρίω (khríō, “anoint”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.