holy oil
1
6.3
- noun
- /ˈhoʊli ɔɪl/
:
aceite sagrado
- She carefully prepared the holy oil for the anointing of the sick, ensuring that it was blessed beforehand.
Examples
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My beloved Tsarina, drenched in holy oil and sweat,
Fiction book (2002) -
When the baptist anointed me, there was no holy oil, no ceremony.
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Where'd you get the holy oil?
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Then be thou anointed with this holy oil.
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And in your right hand, sprinkle five drops of holy oil.
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In case there was any wondering what this is all about: a prayer, a splash of water, a touch of holy oil on your forehead.
Blog text (5) -
He is to make sacrifices, and Abiathar will pour the holy oil.
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During the baptism ceremony, the priest applied the holy oil to the baby's forehead as a sign of blessing.
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The church uses holy oil during confirmation to symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A holy oil used in Christian ceremonies like baptism and confirmation
A holy oil used in Christian ceremonies like baptism
Oil that priests use in religious ceremonies like baptism
How Sacred
- Specialized
1
9.9
1
6.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
holy + oil
The meaning 'oil consecrated/used in religious ceremonies' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'holy' (sacred) with 'oil' (a fatty liquid). The adjective+noun composition and cross-linguistic parallels (e.g., Spanish 'aceite santo', 'agua bendita') make this predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
The noun holy oil comes from a simple religious practice: priests used oil that they had made holy or 'blessed', and they would touch people's foreheads or hands with it during ceremonies. That image of putting special oil on someone is why holy oil today means 'oil set apart for religious ceremonies'.