▪ I. † christen, a. (n.) Obs.
Forms: 1–5 cristen, 3–4 -ine, 4 -yn, -ene, -un, crestin, -en, 4–5 cristin, crystene, 4–6 crysten, -yn(e, 5 cristeyn, 6 christin, chrysten, -un, (Sc. christing), 6–7 christen, (dial. cursen).
[OE. cristen:—WGer. cristin (OS. and OHG.) ad. L. christiān-us Christian. In ME. occasionally influenced by the corresp. OF. crestien. In the 16th c. it was, like the Fr., refashioned with ch-, and at length entirely assimilated to the L., as Christian.]
1. = Christian: of persons. Cf. christenman.
| c 890 K. ælfred Bæda ii. xx. (Bosw.), Se mon wæs se cristenesta and se gelæredesta. c 893 ― Oros. vi. xiii, ælc cristen mon hæfde frið & sibbe. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 243 Se þridde is wel nieh þe cristen man. a 1225 Ancr. R. 22 Uor alle cristene soulen. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 15 Than..biginne we, God cresten men for to be. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 288 Arryued been this cristen [v.r. cresten] folk to londe. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour A vj, A batayle of Crysten men ageynst the Sarasyne. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 381 Exchaunged for christen prisoners. c 1590 Marlowe Faust. xi, As I am a cursen man. 1623 Lisle Anc. Sax. Mon. (1638) Pref. to Serm., Comfort to christen mens soules. 1640 Brome Sparagus Gard. iii. vii, By my Cursen soule. Ibid. iv. v, We be Cursenfolke as good as your zelfe. |
2. Of things.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. vi. xii, Ane cristene boc. a 1300 Cursor M. 1474 (Cott.) To fight al for þe cristen lay. 1485 Caxton Chs. Gt. 1 The cristen feyth is affermed and corrobered. c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 31 In the crysten beleue. 1553 Bale Vocacyon in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 336 That we shulde haue..our Christen doctryne from their unchristen byshoppes. |
b. Christen name: the name given at christening; the Christian name (see Christian a. 6).
| 1549 Latimer 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 88 margin, Brybes..are callyd gentyl rewardes, but that is not theyr chrysten name. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 8 (Q q), I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers; and can call them all by their christen names. 1626 L. Owen Running Reg. 7 They must change their Christen names, and their Sir names. 1679 A. Behn Feign'd Curtizan i. ii, My Grand⁓mother wou'd never own me if I should change the cursen name she gave me. |
3. absol. A Christian. Only about 1500 made a true n. with plural -s (? after French).
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. vi. xxx, Ealle þa cristnan. a 1131 O.E. Chron. an. 1128 Betwenen ða Cristene and þa heðene. a 1225 Ancr. R. 32 Ðe Cristene þet beoð ine heþinesse. a 1300 Cursor M. 19704 At fott þe cristen to prisun. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 91 Cristene and vn-cristene him cleymeþ vchone. c 1430 Life St. Kath. (1884) 5 Not oonly to cristen but also to paynems. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxiv. 511 For to hewe all the cristeyn in peces..The crystens had ben shreudly handled. 1530 Tindale Pract. Prelates Wks. (1573) 346 Tyrants did oft-tymes persecute the christen. |
b. even christen [OE. emne-cristen, ME. emcristen]: fellow-Christian; often collectively, fellow-Christians. See even-Christian.
▪ II. christen, v.
(ˈkrɪs(ə)n)
Forms: 1 cristn-ian, 3–4 cristn-e(n, 4–6 cristen, 6– christen. (With the usual ME. variants: cryst-, -in, -yn, -on, -un, (6 crestyn). dial. 6–7 kersen, 8–9 kirsen, 9 kersun, kessen, Sc. kirsten.)
[OE. cristn-ian, f. cristen Christian, lit. to make Christian, Christianize. The e was originally elided between t and n, when a syllable followed, but inserted when the infinitive -en, -e, -y, was dropped; thus pa. tense, 1 cristnode, 3 Orm. crisstnedd, 3–5 cristned, 6–7 christned (chrisned), 6– christened.]
† 1. trans. To convert to Christianity, make Christian, christianize. Obs. or arch.
| c 890 K. ælfred Bæda ii. 14 (Bosw.) Ðæt Paulinus ðær ðæt folc cristnode and fullode. c 1305 St. Christopher in E.E.P. (1862) 64 He gan hem so lere Þat er hi come hom to þe kyng: alle icristned hi were. c 1450 Lydg. Mer. Missæ 151 Charlys..cristende spayne. c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (1878) 268 This thing chanced not long before we were christened, and is written by our Apostle, S. Gregory. 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 29 When the Danish Nation was first Christned. 1644 Jer. Taylor Apol. Liturgy §2 The first example in England since it was first Christened. 1880 R. Owen Sanct. Cathol. 183 note, That holy Faith, which overcame the world, and christened it. |
b. To make Christian in form, or profession.
| 1824 Coleridge Aids Refl. (1848) I. 12 The powers of the world are often christened, but seldom christianized. |
2. trans. To admit or initiate into the Christian Church by baptism; to baptize, administer baptism to. † to christen from: to protect by christening from (obs.; cf. bless v.1 3).
| c 1200 Ormin 13257 Þatt menn hemm O Cristess name crisstneþþ. c 1386 Chaucer Sec. Nun's T. 217 Pope Urban him cristened right there. c 1450 Merlin v. 91 Antor toke the childe..and asked yef it were cristned. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 1684 He xall crestyn yow from þe fynddes power. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) i. i. 8 To crysten or baptem is as moche to say as to wasshe. 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. i. 14 Were ye baptised in the name of Paul? I thanke God that I cristened none of you. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Acts i. 4 a, He shall chrysten you with the holy ghoste. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (1852) 75 The mydwyffe kersende them at home and was alowyd by the churche. 1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet 127 They were Christened when they were Babes, and could not helpe it. 1711 Swift Lett. (1767) III. 207 The dean of Rochester christened the child. The child roared like a bull, and I gave Mrs. Masham joy of it. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) IV. 186 Orator Henley christening a child. 1837 R. Nicoll Poems (1843) 92 When some o' her kimmers hae kirsened a wean. 1855 Whitby Gloss., Kessen, to christen. 1879 Hesba Stretton Through Needle's Eye I. 86 To..christen the infants, and bury the dead. |
b. absol. To administer baptism.
| c 1315 Shoreham Poems (1849) 9 Water is kendeliche cheld..Ther-fore me mey cristni ther-inne. 138. Wyclif Sel. Wks. II. 141 Crist telliþ here þe fourme to Cristen. 1687 Burnet Trav. ii. (1750) 84 They christen discovering the whole Head. 1820 Scott Abbot viii, He could marry, christen, and administer the other sacraments. |
3. To give a name to (a person) at baptism; usually pass. to receive a name at baptism. (Often with the name as complement of predicate.)
| c 1450 Merlin i. 15 It was cristened Merlyn. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. ii. 284 Iaq. I do not like her name. Orl. There was no thought of pleasing you when she was christen'd. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. vi, The child..was christened by the name of Peregrine. 1829 Southey Q. Mary's Christening, The babe is christened James. 1876 T. Hardy Hand Ethelb. I. 1 She..began life as a baby christened Ethelberta. |
† b. To give the name to, as sponsor; to stand sponsor to (a child) at baptism. Obs.
| 1515 Will of B. Batty (Layman) in Mem. Ripon I. 332, I will that every child that I cristyned have vjd. 1649 Evelyn Diary 29 Nov., I christned Sir Hugh Rilies child with Sir Geo. Radcliffe..the parents being so poore that they had provided no gossips. 1667 Pepys Diary 28 Aug., I..christened the child, a girl, Elizabeth, which though a girl my Lady Batten would have me to give the name. |
4. transf. To name and dedicate (bells, ships, etc.) by a ceremony analogous to baptism.
| 1533 Frith Answ. More Wks. (1573) 151 If you beleue that you ought to preach to fishes, and goe Christen them an other while, as ye do belles. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xvi. (1843) 908/2 That his Majesty might..new Christen those Ships which too much preserv'd the memory..of the Republick. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. xxi. 247 Bells..being all christned, and dedicated to some Saint..have a specifick Power to drive away all manner of evil Spirits, except Poverty in the Laity, and Pride in the Clergy. 1888 Glasgow Herald 10 Sept. 10/6 The four-masted steel sailing ship Cape Horn..was successfully launched, and christened by Madame Voisin. |
5. gen. To name, give a name to; often with complement, to call by the name of. colloq.
| 1642 Jer. Taylor Episc. xxiii, The Disciples of the Glorious Nazarene were Christ'ned first in Antioch, for they had their baptisme some yeares before they had their Name. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §18 We christen effects by their most sensible..causes. 1715 M. Davies Ath. Brit. i. 109 He reckons but one, and she a Nun, viz. Anne (as he Christens her). 1725 Swift Wood, an Insect, Chambermaids christen this worm a deathwatch. 1887 Athenæum 31 Dec. 898/1 The United States authorities have recently christened a river in Alaska..after Mr. Frederick Whymper. |
6. With various allusions, mostly humorous.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. ii. 71 Heere is the babe..The Empresse sends it thee..And bids thee christen it with thy daggers point. 1679 Dryden Tr. & Cr. Prol. 20 Weak short liv'd issues of a feeble age, Scarce living to be Christen'd on the Stage! 1785 Burns Ep. J. Lapraik xix, We 'se..kirsen him wi' reekin water. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xiii, We'll christen him with the brewer (here he added a little small beer to his beverage). |
b. in Thieves' Cant.
| 1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., Obliterating the name and number on..a stolen watch; or the crest, cipher, etc., on articles of plate, and getting others engraved, so as to prevent their being identified, is termed having them bishop'd, or christen'd. 1868 Doran Saints & Sinn. II. 290 The pietist thieves..‘christen’ daily as soon as they have stolen a watch. This thieves' christening consists in erasing the maker's name and supplying another. |