Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To admit into Christianity by means of baptism.
- v. To cleanse or purify.
- v. To initiate.
- v. To give a first or Christian name to; christen.
- v. To administer baptism.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To administer the rite of baptism to. See baptism.
- To christen; name; denominate: with allusion to the naming of infants at baptism.
- Sometimes spelled baptise.
Wiktionary
- v. To sprinkle or pour water over, or to immerse in water, as a spiritual cleansing process in the rite of Christian baptism.
- v. To dedicate or christen.
- v. obsolete, slang Of rum, brandy, or any other spirits, to dilute with water.
- v. slang To ensure proper burning of a joint by moistening the exterior with saliva.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To administer the sacrament of baptism to.
- v. To christen (because a name is given to infants at their baptism); to give a name to; to name.
- v. To sanctify; to consecrate.
WordNet 3.0
- v. administer baptism to
Etymologies
- From Old French baptiser, batisier, from Ecclesiastical Latin baptizare, from Ancient Greek βαπτίζω ("to immerse, plunge, baptize"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English baptizen, from Old French baptiser, from Late Latin baptīzāre, from Greek baptizein, from baptein, to dip. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“I didn’t want to use the word baptize in front of my grandfather, lest it scare him off.”
“_John Calvin_ (Presbyterian): "The word baptize signifies to immerse, and it is certain that the rite of immersion was observed by the ancient church.”
“The word baptize signifies originally to tinge, to dye, to stain, as those who dye clothes.”
“The Hebrew Word (tabal) which is rendered by the word baptize, occurs in the Old Testament in the following places, viz.: -- Le 4: 6; 14: 6,51; Nu 19: 18; Ru 2: 14; Ex”
“Lexicographers have defined and analyzed the word baptize in its different forms.”
“I recognize the fact that our word baptize is not a translation, but simply the Greek word transferred with an English termination affixed and must therefore be interpreted by the reader of English.”
“So wash is not the proper meaning of the word baptize, when used to designate action.”
“This is vital to life and character; but correct opinions about the import of the word baptize, or the design of baptism, are not vital in the case of the true believer; the mistake does not destroy”
“The word baptize means immerse entirely; and it is certain that the custom of thus entirely immersing was anciently observed in the church"; but he then assumes the papal dogma, "that the church has reserved to herself the right to change the form somewhat, retaining the substance.”
“It will be said, you insist upon correct opinions about Christ; why not about the word baptize?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘baptize’.
-
Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
-
Postscripture ✞
Terms associated with the Christianity, The Bible, etc. I have a related, but more narrow list called Imbible Code.
A related list is Words Associated With Jesus.apostole, pharaoh, sodom, babel, sabbath, baptize, cherub, elohim, lapsarian, crucifixion, nephilim, hosanna and 195 more...
-
RELI - words with Biblical connotations
Words in the Bible evoking biblical stories or with special spiritual meaning. Proper names have been reduced to the minimum.
ark, judgement, holy, saint, baptism, spirit, love, eternal, altar, balsam, covenant, flood and 1115 more...
-
RELI - words you immediately associat...
advent, almighty, altar, anoint, apostle, archangel, ark, Balaam, baptism, baptist, baptize, begotten and 341 more...
-
apt
apt, rapt, inapt, leapt, aptitude, chapter, capture, rapture, velociraptor, captivate, captious, caption and 77 more...
-
Bible names
noah, almighty, cain, abel, father, mother, israel, king, sanctuary, spirit, psalm, blessing and 236 more...
-
Libatious Words
worth pouring over
foison, fondant, fondue, font, found, funnel, fusile, libation, fuse, fusion, affusion, circumfuse and 85 more...
-
GRE verbal 1
GRE
hypocrisy, wizened, arcane, nascent, trifling, malaise, quibble, derogatory, inept, recant, splenetic, insouciance and 21 more...
-
rituale romanum
apostolic, vestments, surplice, stole, cassock, sacrament, communion, litany, absolution, transubstantiation, bread, wine and 53 more...
-
etymophily
Interesting gobbets of etymology
boudoir, down, sudoku, marijuana, venal, wedlock, decussate, dive, gloaming, coach, baptize, maroon and 13 more...
-
The "light" things
Tweets
Looking for tweets for baptize.
chained_bear Nifty. Thanks, qroqqa. May 22, 2009
qroqqa Looks like it: Wyclif in 1382-3 used solemnize, sabbatize, authorize, then come the next burst in the 1420s: practise (which has since been remodelled), moralize, and in a text about surgery organize, paralyse, pulverize. May 22, 2009
chained_bear How 'bout that. I wonder what the second- and third-oldest are, and whether they have a similar connection to Christianity? May 22, 2009
qroqqa The OED says this is probably the oldest English word to contain the -ize suffix (attested from 1297). May 22, 2009