Christeners

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A celebratory act of naming or dedicating a person, often a child, typically involving religious customs or rituals
2. The practice or ceremony of formally giving a name often associated with baptism
3. A gathering that marks the introduction of an individual into a religious community through the act of naming

Etymology: "Christeners" is the plural of "christener," a noun for someone who christens, that is, who performs the act of naming a person and admitting them into the Christian church. The word is built from "christen," the verb meaning to baptize or give a name in a Christian ceremony, plus the suffix "-er," which marks a person or thing that performs an action. The suffix is ordinary English machinery, found in words like "baker" or "teacher," so the word's story lies mainly in the verb it grows from.