Baptize

to immerse in water or sprinkle or pour water on in the christian rite of baptism:
they baptized the new baby.
to cleanse spiritually; initiate or dedicate by purifying.
to give a name to at baptism; christen.
to administer baptism.
historical examples

a well-known politician, who died only recently, was born in the village, and the old rector was called on to baptize him.
curious church customs various

you must promise to marry us all, and then baptize the babies.’
my antonia willa cather

an’ annancy made a bargain with his t’ree friend an’ is going to baptize brother crab with boiling water.
jamaican song and story walter jekyll

john baptized you with water, but i will baptize you with the holy ghost!
what the moon saw: and other tales hans christian andersen

den sometime a white preacherman come and he am de baptist and baptize we’uns.
slave narratives: a folk history of slavery in the united states from interviews with former slaves. work projects administration

what right, said they, had a man to baptize who had been ordained in this irregular manner?
history of the moravian church j. e. hutton

he had been called out to baptize a sick baby and pray by its dying mother.
johnny ludlow, fourth series mrs. henry wood

it was the practice, then, in origen’s day, to baptize infants.
bertha and her baptism nehemiah adams

i often hear this alleged, mr. k., and we are called romish and popish because we baptize infants.
bertha and her baptism nehemiah adams

desist, or i will baptize you in the well as philip did the ethiopian, without a sponsor.
going to maynooth william carleton

verb
(christianity) to immerse (a person) in water or sprinkle water on (a person) as part of the rite of baptism
(transitive) to give a name to; christen
(transitive) to cleanse; purify
v.

c.1300, from old french batisier (11c.), from latin baptizare, from greek baptizein “to immerse, to dip in water,” also used figuratively, e.g. “to be over one’s head” (in debt, etc.), “to be soaked (in wine);” in greek christian usage, “baptize;” from baptein “to dip, steep, dye, color,” from pie root -gwabh- “to dip, sink.” christian baptism originally consisted in full immersion. related: baptized; baptizing.