Dictionary

christen en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɹɪsən/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English cristenen, cristnien, from Old English cristnian (“to christen, baptise”), from cristen (“Christen, Christian”) + -nian. Cognate with Saterland Frisian kristenje (“to christen”), Dutch kerstenen (“to christen”), Middle Low German kristenen, kerstenen, karstenen (“to christen”), Danish kristne (“to christen”), Swedish kristna (“to christen”), Icelandic kristna (“to christen”). By surface analysis, Christ + -en.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To perform the religious rite of baptism upon; to baptize.
   • Lewis the 9th of France, being asked by vvhat ſtile he vvould be called, ſaid, Levvis of Poyſſy. […] [S]aid he, I deſire to be called Levvis of Poyſſy, becauſe there I got the moſt glorious victory that ever I had; For there I overcame the Divell: meaning that he vvas chriſtned there. 1651, “An Addition of Apothegmes by Severall Authors”, in George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum. Or Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, &c. […], London: […] T[homas] Maxey for T[imothy] Garthwait, […], →OCLC, page 183:
   • The new baby was christened at the village church.
2. (broadly, transitive) To name.
   • 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth Christen the thing what you will.
   • The order to rename the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk – christened four years ago – is unusual but is in line with the White House mandate to reverse a number of military initiatives by Democratic presidents. 2025 June 4, Andy Rose, “Gay rights icon Harvey Milk’s legacy slighted by decision to rename Navy ship”, in CNN:
   • I christen this ship the Bonny Barnacle.
3. (obsolete) To Christianize.
   • I must tell you that christianity hath new christened it 1657, Jeremy Taylor, Discourse of the Nature, Offices and Measures of Friendship:
4. (colloquial) To use for the first time.
   • I christened my new boots today with a walk in the snow.
   • Foo Fighters, the Pretenders, and Alex G christened Portland’s newest music venue Friday night, and it was a show for the ages. 2024 August 19, Melissa Locker, “Foo Fighters Rock the Hell Out of Portland's New 30,000-Seat Stadium”, in Portland Mercury:
5. (informal) To douse or wet with blood, urine, tears, or other liquid.
   • Thus was De Witt's colony, like Austin's, at the mouth of the Colorado, christened in blood, and thus for the moment ended the first effort to found a settlement within its limits. 1892, John Henry Brown, History of Texas; from 1685 to 1892 - Volume 1, page 127:
   • Being christened by a urinating bare-bottomed newborn is almost a rite of passage of parenthood. 2005, Linda Sonna, Early-Start Potty Training, page viii:
   • By the way if, as part of your fatherhood journey, you haven't been vomited on, had poo squirted on you, or been christened with pee yet, you're not trying hard enough. 2010, Stefan Korn, Scott Lancaster, Eric Mooij, Being a Great Dad For Dummies, page 122:
   • I christened the facilities, shrugged into my windbreaker, and met Dolan at his door. 2002, Sue Grafton, Q Is for Quarry:
   • A daddy-long-legs lurched against the white-washed walls while Surefire christened the lime-swilled fresh bucket with a strong stream of urine. 2012, Glory Keveme, Broken Wings, page 51:

Forms

Deriveds

mischristen · unchristen · rechristen · christener

Translations (61)

pl chrzcić (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · kea botisa (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ba исем ҡушыу (to name) · es bautizar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · hy մկրտել (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · fr baptiser (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · pt batizar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · hu keresztel (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · it battezzare (to name) · ast bautizar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ru называ́ть (to name) · pl ochrzcić (to name) · ca cristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · es acristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · gl acristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ca batejar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · bg кръщавам (to name) · an cristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · sk krstiť (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · gl bautizar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ru окрести́ть (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ru крести́ть (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · nl dopen (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · hu keresztel (to name) · cs křtít (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · pl ochrzcić (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · kea batiza (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · kea butezá (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · gd baist (to name) · eo nomi (to name) · eo bapti (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · fr nommer (to name) · an bautizar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · it inaugurare (to name) · eo bapti (to name) · ru крести́ть (to name) · it battezzare (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ba суҡындырыу (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · bg именувам (to name) · sv döpa (to name) · ro boteza (to name) · fi ristiä (to name) · es cristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · fi kastaa (to name) · ast acristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · fr baptiser (to name) · ast cristianar (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · fi kastaa (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · gl batear (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · de taufen (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · sv döpa (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · bg кръщавам (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · gd baist (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ru назва́ть (to name) · pt batizar (to name) · ro boteza (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · sk pokrstiť (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · ru окрести́ть (to name) · pl chrzcić (to name) · cs pokřtít (to perform the religious rite of baptism on) · de taufen (to name)