What does "unct" mean?

To anoint, especially a monarch or other patriarchal leader.

What is a synonym for "unct"?

Common synonyms include: anoint, anoint, lubricate, lubricate, oint, oleate.

Unct

verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1
To anoint, especially a monarch or other patriarchal leader. archaic
"The King was uncted in the nick of time"
2
To lubricate.
"This is also an uncting procedure in which oil is dropped into the nose and expelled through the mouth."

Synonyms

All synonyms

anoint anoint lubricate lubricate oint oleate

Example

More examples

"The King was uncted in the nick of time"

Etymology

First appears in Middle English circa 1425, derived from Latin unctus (“anointed”) and related terms. Ayurvedic sense is one of several competing translations of Sanskrit snehana.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.