unction
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈʌŋkʃən/
- Archaic
:
ungüento
- He applied the unction to his irritated skin for relief from the rash.
- bought an unction
Examples
-
I bought an unction of a mountebank... so mortal that, if I but scratch him, it will mean death.
-
I bought an unction of a mountebank so mortal that, but dip a knife in it, where it draws blood no medicine so rare can save the thing from death that is but scratched withal.
-
A basic unction is olive oil with rosemary, but he also speaks of rosemary, frankincense, and myrrh, like the gifts the wise men brought Jesus, though we've evidently gone from the gold standard to the rosemary standard.
Fiction book (1998) -
The herbal unction helped soothe her dry and cracked hands.
-
The doctor prescribed a soothing unction to treat the patient's eczema.
Synonyms
49
3.3
A smooth thick oily substance you put on the skin to help it heal or feel soft
16
3.7
A soft medicine that you put on the skin to heal or soothe irritation
10
6.4
A soft oily substance you put on skin to help it heal
3
9.9
A soft cream you put on the skin to heal or soothe
Compounds
- Archaic
1
9.9
A ceremony in which a priest puts oil on a dying person and prays for them
How Oily
Surface Forms
Etymology
Unction meaning a thick salve or ointment comes from the Latin ungere 'to anoint' and is the same root as the familiar word ointment. So unction can mean an oily medicine you rub on the skin to heal or soothe.