baptize

bap·tize

verb \bap-ˈtīz, ˈbap-ˌ, especially Southern bab- or ˈbab-\

bap·tized also bap·tised bap·tiz·ing also bap·tis·ing

Definition of BAPTIZE

transitive verb

1

: to administer baptism to

2

a : to purify or cleanse spiritually especially by a purging experience or ordeal

b : initiate

3

: to give a name to (as at baptism) : christen

intransitive verb

: to administer baptism

— bap·tiz·er noun

Variants of BAPTIZE

bap·tize also bap·tise \bap-ˈtīz, ˈbap-ˌ, especially Southern bab- or ˈbab-\

Examples of BAPTIZE

1. The priest baptized the baby.
2. She was baptized at the age of 20.

Origin of BAPTIZE

Middle English, from Anglo-French baptiser, from Late Latin baptizare, from Greek baptizein to dip, baptize, from baptein to dip, dye; akin to Old Norse kvefja to quench

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to BAPTIZE

Synonyms

name, call, christen, clepe [archaic], denominate, designate, dub, entitle, label, nominate, style, term, title

Related Words

brand, stigmatize, tag; denote, specify; miscall, misname, mistitle; code-name, nickname; rechristen, relabel, rename; surname

Near Antonyms

can, discharge, fire, terminate; muster out

Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

Rhymes with BAPTIZE

abscise, advise, apprise, apprize, arise, assize, bite-size, breadthwise, capsize, chastise, clockwise, coastwise, cognize, comprise, crabwise, crack wise, crosswise, demise, despise, devise, disguise, disprize, door prize, downsize, earthrise, edgewise, emprise, endwise, excise, fanwise, franchise, full-size, grecize, high-rise, incise, king-size, leastwise, lengthwise, Levi's, life-size, likewise, low-rise, man-size, mid-rise, midsize, misprize, moonrise, nowise, outsize, piecewise, pint-size, premise, quantize, queen-size, remise, reprise, revise, rightsize, slantwise, streetwise, stylize, suffice, sunrise, surmise, surprise, trim size, twin-size, unwise, uprise