unction
noun /ˈʌŋkʃn/
/ˈʌŋkʃn/
[uncountable]- the act of pouring oil on somebody’s head or another part of their body as part of an important religious ceremony see also extreme unction
- (formal, disapproving) behaviour or speech that is not sincere and that expresses too much praise of somebody
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin unctio(n-), from unguere ‘anoint’. Sense (2) arises from the link between religious fervour and “anointing” with the Holy Spirit.