Crisma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A holy oil used in various Christian sacraments, particularly in the anointing of the sick or confirmation
2. A mixture of oil and balsam blessed by a bishop for use in religious ceremonies
3. A significant element in sacred rites, symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit during blessings

Etymology: "Crisma" is the Latin-derived term for the consecrated oil used in Christian rites, and its English form is "chrism." It comes from Greek "chrisma," meaning "anointing" or "unction," from the verb "chriein," "to anoint." That verb is also the root of "Christ," which is a translation of the Hebrew "mashiach," "anointed one," so the oil and the central figure of Christianity share a origin in the idea of anointing. The Greek word passed into Latin as "chrisma," and in medieval Latin it took the form "crisma," which is the spelling you have here. Old English borrowed the sacred sense through Church Latin, and "crisma" appears in English texts from the Old English period onward, with "chrism" becoming the standard spelling in later centuries as scholars restored the Greek form. Its use is tied closely to the sacraments. Chrism is blessed by a bishop and used in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and, in some traditions, the anointing of the sick, so the word has always been bound to ritual rather than everyday speech.

Synonyms: chrism, holy oil