unction

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin unctiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌŋkʃən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌŋkʃən

Noun

unction (countable and uncountable, plural unctions)

1. An ointment or salve.
   • c. 1678 (date written; published 1682), J[ohn] Dryden, “Mac Flecknoe”, in Mac Flecknoe: A Poem. […] With Spencer’s Ghost: Being a Satyr Concerning Poetry. […], London: […] H[enry] Hills, […], published 1709, →OCLC, page 6:

     The King himſelf the ſacred Unction made, / As King by Office, and as Prieſt by Trade: […]

2. A religious or ceremonial anointing.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC:

     To be heir, and to be king / By sacred unction, thy deserved right.

3. A balm or something that soothes.
4. A quality in language, address or delivery which expresses sober and fervent emotion.
   • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, chapter XI, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:

     Krook almost smacks his lips with the unction of a horrible interest.

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, chapter XXI, in Age of Consent, London: T[homas] Werner Laurie […], →OCLC, page 223:

     "Well, I'll say this for myself. If there's anything out of order where I'm about, I don't miss it." "I believe you," said Bradly with unction.

5. A smug, exaggerated use of language; smarminess.
6. Divine or sanctifying grace.

Derived terms

• extreme unction

Translations

ointment or salve

• Bulgarian: крем (bg) m (krem), мехлем (bg) m (mehlem)
• Finnish: voide (fi)
• French: onction (fr) f
• Greek: αλοιφή (el) f (aloifí)
• Hungarian: kenőcs (hu)
• Irish: ungadh m
• Polish: namaszczenie (pl) n
• Russian: мазь (ru) f (mazʹ)

religious or ceremonial anointing

• Bulgarian: миропомазване n (miropomazvane)
• Finnish: voitelu (fi)
• French: onction (fr) f
• Greek: χρίσμα (el) n (chrísma)

  Ancient: χρῖσμα n (khrîsma)

• Hungarian: kenet (hu), felkenés (hu)
• Irish: ungadh m
• Latin: unctio f
• Polish: namaszczenie (pl) n
• Russian: пома́зание (ru) n (pomázanije)
• Spanish: unción (es) f

balm or something that soothes

• Finnish: palsami (fi)
• Hungarian: balzsam (hu), ír (hu)
• Italian: balsamo (it) m, unguento (it) m, crema (it) f
• Russian: еле́й (ru) m (jeléj)

smug use of language

• Finnish: liukaskielisyys, liukkaus (fi)
• Hungarian: kenetteljesség (hu), önelégültség (hu)

Anagrams

• count in, countin'

Scots

Noun

unction (plural unctions)

1. auction

Related terms

• unctioneer