unction: Meaning and Definition of

unc•tion

Pronunciation: (ungk'shun), [key]
— n.
  1. an act of anointing, esp. as a medical treatment or religious rite.
  2. an unguent or ointment; salve.
  3. something soothing or comforting.
  4. an excessive, affected, sometimes cloying earnestness or fervor in manner, esp. in speaking.
    1. the oil used in religious rites, as in anointing the sick or dying.
    2. the shedding of a divine or spiritual influence upon a person.
    3. the influence shed.
    4. Seeextreme unction.
  5. the manifestation of spiritual or religious inspiration.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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