anointing of the sick
- noun
:
unción de los enfermos
- And as soon as the priest gave her another anointing of the sick, the next time the doctors came in to see us and see it.
Examples
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During the service, the priest performed the anointing of the sick to offer comfort to the gravely ill.
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Congar argued from a parallel in the institution of four sacraments whose dominical origin the New Testament does not clearly describe: confirmation, holy orders, marriage, and the anointing of the sick.
Academic text (2008) -
Are there requirements for the anointing of the sick?
Blog text (1) -
That's why Father Martin is going on and on about how the rite has changed its name from "extreme unction" to the "anointing of the sick."
Fiction book (1997) -
The anointing of the sick is an important sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church, symbolizing hope and healing.
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Many families seek the anointing of the sick for their loved ones to provide spiritual support during difficult times.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A ceremony in which a priest puts oil on a dying person and prays for them
1
9.9
An act of putting oil on someone during a religious ceremony
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally derived from 'anointing' (applying oil in a religious ritual) + 'the sick' (people who are ill), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the ritual/sacrament performed for ill people. This is a straightforward 'X of Y' noun phrase found cross-linguistically, so the basic sense is transparent even if the specific religious/technical nuances (e.g. sacramental status) require extra cultural knowledge.
Etymology
The church ritual anointing of the sick comes from the practice of anointing the sick by putting oil on a person's head and hands as a sign of God's blessing and care. That's why the phrase means a church ceremony that brings a person 'comfort' and asks for 'healing' or 'spiritual help'.